Deb Knight’s Opinion | ‘Stupid’ Hoon Destroys Stadium to Ruin Kids Sports Season

opinion: It’s been a rotten few years for kids who love sports.

When the entire season was canceled thanks to the lockdown due to COVID-19 and football, netball, cricket and all other outdoor sports could finally resume, the weather refused to play ball.

La Niña brought record rainfall to the East Coast, causing many sports fields and complexes to flood or become inundated and unplayable.

Uniforms, boots, and sneakers gather dust in bedrooms, and many children barely set foot on the pitch, court, or field.

So it’s hard to comprehend Hoon’s stupidity in carving out a small playground for thousands of children and sports groups in Sydney’s inner west.

My two daughters play netball. My older daughter is on the asphalt, and my younger daughter is on the newly started lawn.

The grass courts at the massive Sintra Park Netball Complex, which attracts dozens of clubs and thousands of players every Saturday, are repeatedly closed due to rain.

It is currently closed for the rest of the netball season. It’s been closed for weeks, possibly months, because a car ripped the coat to pieces.

A burnt-out vehicle, probably a large or ute, was running toward the grass court eating donuts because of the extent of the damage.

And it’s not just the netball court that has dealt with it.

At least four other sports stadiums were demolished in the same manner, possibly on the same night, according to the local council.

It’s a shame. Hoon’s idea of ​​fun has dashed the hopes of thousands of children playing the sport they love.

Police are investigating and monitoring CCTV to identify the person or group responsible, but it’s a cold consolation for sports groups.

The only blessing for some of the young netballers was being able to organize a special holiday on the asphalt courts to give them a chance to play.

Not for the entire season, but at least a chance to get out on the court and play the sport they love.