The Goulburn Bears, like most sporting clubs, have seen their winter season fall victim to the recent statewide COVID-19 lockdown.
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With just a couple of rounds left before the local basketball finals were scheduled to start, the Bears were forced to call the competition off after the most recent coronavirus outbreak brought almost all sport in NSW to a grinding halt.
"It's disappointing that we were towards the end of our winter competition when we shut down," Bears committee member, Andrew Stewart, said.
"That was the disappointing thing, that we didn't get to finish off the season."
As a consolation to the top teams in each division, winners of each competition will still be announced based on the standings at the time play was stopped.
Although the winter season could not be finished, Stewart said the committee is determined to see some kind of summer basketball season through, and is currently surveying its options.
"We usually play up until the end of November, so we'll have to make a decision whether or not we start a summer competition in November or December, or whether or not we run a shortened summer competition in term one, 2022," he said.
"Or we could even run an extended summer and winter competition for three terms. That'll be a decision we have to make based on what happens."
Though Goulburn basketball, like most other sporting associations in the state, currently awaits an opportunity to return, it is in a better position than it was during the 2020 lockdowns.
This, Stewart said, is largely attributable to the surge in numbers the association saw following the return of community sport in the latter half of last year.
"We picked up pretty well, really," he said.
"We couldn't have any more numbers in our men's and women's senior competitions, let's put it that way. We could have more, technically, but nobody wants to be out there past 9.30 in winter.
"If we had any more, we'd have to split it up and go to another night."
Though the growth was not quite as significant in the junior divisions, Stewart said the association was optimistic about its future.
Further information regarding a summer competition will be released by the Goulburn Bears when it becomes available.
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