Grounds closed!
A weekend of wet weather shouldn't mean a weekend of inactivity for young athletes.
Much has been written about the barriers that prevent young people taking part in sport. These range from socio-economic factors, post code, gender, and their cultural background. Another factor which rarely gets mentioned is the weather. For the last three weeks Sydney has been a wash out and this weekend looks to be more of the same. Fields have been closed to prevent the scheduled activity exacerbating an already sodden playing surface. Rarely do local councils have the resources to make a case-by-case decision, closing some fields that are waterlogged whilst opening others in better condition. The result? A blanket closure.
These closures have meant that boys and girls have missed a huge chunk of their season. For young people who are still building confidence and enjoyment in their chosen sport, the break can mean the difference between sticking with their new endeavour and giving up. Few sports can afford the latter.
We can’t control the weather so what can we do? Well, quite a bit, actually.
More (strategically placed) synthetic fields
Synthetic fields are a hot topic, especially in NSW. A recent report from the Chief Scientist didn’t give them a glowing review and called for councils, sports and or developers to think carefully about the needs of the whole community before installing artificial grass. A guide to decision making around synthetic fields can be viewed here https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-05/synthetic-turf-sports-fields-in-public-open-space-guideline-for-decision-makers.pdf. This review is the result of concerns over the environmental and health impact of the plastic infill that accompanies such fields. You can read my broader thoughts on synthetic fields here Pitch perfect
This notwithstanding, synthetic fields have lots of positives, not least the ability to use them come rain, hail, or shine. I developed Scotland’s first sports performance centre which featured a full size indoor synthetic field. The facility was built with the specific aim of allowing more practise hours for Scottish footballers away from the nations infamous dreich weather. It has fulfilled that purpose and then some. The teams that call the facility home rarely, if ever, have to cancel a game or training session. One of the reasons this works so well is that it is operated by a university rather than a club and so access is shared equitably between a range of different stakeholders.
The same could work if government and local councils worked with state governing bodies for sport to provision synthetic fields that were not associated with a single club. On weekends where inclement weather closed grass pitches, the synthetic fields could take the strain, hosting back-to-back games for clubs in a designated geographical region. A magic or gather round (depending on which sport you follow) for the youth leagues, so to speak. There are some good examples of this already, for example the synthetic field at Valentine Sports Park which is home to Football NSW.
Governing bodies would need skin in the game and be committed to managing scheduling at these facilities across the year. This, however, is not beyond their expertise nor staff resource. If you add floodlights, a single synthetic field could accommodate 34 games of junior rugby league in a single day. That is enough for all the under 7’s, 8’s and 9’s teams on the Northern Beaches to play (or train) with time left over for the older players.
Parents can make the most of time off due to inclement weather
Whilst fields may be closed for team practise and games, this doesn’t mean young players can’t use them for individual sessions with their parents, carers, or friends. There is little or no danger of damage to a wet pitch by two people practising their kicking, passing, drop goals or conversions. I was able to fill 90 minutes with my son on an evening when training was cancelled through a mix of games built around kicking and passing towards a target (I enjoyed it more than he did, perhaps because I won!). It wasn’t as good as training with his peers however kept him in the routine of practising twice a week (and away from a screen). We try to do this whenever a match or training session is cancelled.
Clubs can help by developing resources that give parents ideas on how to develop fun sessions for their children when training is cancelled. This might include fitness exercises and drills to develop better technique that do not require lots of equipment. There is a wealth of exercises that young players can practise on their own with a ball in Football (Soccer), Rugby and AFL which clubs can document and share with the parents of registered players. Some, I know, already do this.
Councils and those who decide whether fields will stay open or not can also help. Waiting for a decision on field availability is frustrating. It is even more frustrating when you know the fields will be closed but the decision is delayed until the last minute. The upshot is that families cannot plan their days or weekends which makes scheduling individual practise for their children harder. More time to plan makes it easier for parents to modify work commitments, finish a little earlier or provide extra time to think about what they could do with their children instead of training.
Clubs can support local teams in their area
Most clubs, even if youth games are called off, will have a senior team that is still able to play. If not the club’s senior team, then one closely aligned to it. These games represent a great opportunity to bring your team together in an environment where they are still engaged with sport. Last weekend most junior Rugby League games were cancelled in the Northern Beaches however the Manly Sea Eagles NSW Cup team played against the Newcastle Knights, a game that featured a host of NRL players. I know spectating isn’t the same as playing however young athletes can learn a lot by watching those more experienced than them. The benefit of doing this at a local venue is they can hear what the players are saying, how players organise those around them, and get an insight into what competing at a higher level looks like. If your game is cancelled, why not arrange for the team to meet, and watch the adults play. If you can do this and bring together multiple teams from different age groups, all the better for building a stronger club community.
An alternative activity if training is cancelled is to analyse footage from one of their previous games or review the highlights from a professional match together, as a team. This can involve picking out the strengths and weaknesses of players and critiquing tactics. If that sounds too onerous, you can provide homework projects that include analysing their favourite professional player and picking out elements they want to improve in their own game. Football (Soccer) clubs do this with their young academy players to great effect as a way of fostering a deeper understanding of the game.
If your club relies on volunteer coaches whose children play in the team this may sound like a lot of extra work, and it is. A solution lies in asking parents who aren’t coaches to help by facilitating these sessions and pulling together tasks and footage for the players to analyse. Is it that different from asking parents to provide oranges and jelly snakes for half time?
At a time when sport is doing much to attenuate falling participation rates, it needs to do more to protect the time it does have with those who have signed up. Grounds closed shouldn’t mean tools down.