Junior soccer is among the host of sports aiming to begin a 2020 season next month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Postponed in mid-March in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Northern Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association is preparing to bring goals back to Churchill Park.
With stage three restrictions set to come into place on Friday, NTJSA operations manager Dale Rigby said nearly all clubs had returned to training in preparation for the season.
"At this stage it looks promising that we'll start straight after third term goes back to school, we'll hopefully start that week," Rigby said.
"Most of our member clubs are now back at training, the last of them I think have started training this week, if not some of the younger ones will start training next week."
A roster is yet to be issued, however the NTJSA is hopeful of extending the season well past its usual August finish date.
"It'll be a little bit shorter, we've been working with City of Launceston to work at extending the season so we're working through that at the moment with how much longer we can go into the summer sports and so forth," Rigby said.
"They've been helpful, so we're aiming to get possibly up to three-quarters of the length of the season we would have had.
"There's obviously some guidelines around getting back to playing, so we're going to have to be very careful about how we manage the number of people that will be at Churchill Park at any one time going forward.
"Our priority will be the health and safety of everyone involved - not only the players but the spectators and volunteers."
Football Tasmania welcomed the sport's return with news that every junior playing this season will receive a free match ball to aid in practising skills at home.
Chief executive Matt Bulkeley said hand sanitising stations had been set up at every ground statewide ahead of the new season.
"It has been a mammoth task getting players back on the pitch following COVID-19 and one that could not have been achieved without the hard work and co-operation of the entire football community," Bulkeley said.
"It's been wonderful to see everyone come together to reboot football so Tasmanian children can again enjoy its vast array of health and social benefits.
The NPL Tasmania and Northern Championship rosters are expected to be released as early as this week.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT