Surely this cannot be right

[Rinoachicken]

DS11 just went up the the basketball court that’s on the green space at the top of our road to practice on his new skateboard, but came back because there are signs up saying closed due to Covid. The adjacent playground itself is open though and was full of families. How can they close a rectangle of tarmac??!!

I said he should probably have been fine using it, that they probably want to discourage groups of children playing football or basketball there, but he was alone not with others so it would have been fine. But as he’s autistic he can’t break ‘the rules’ so won’t go back.

So a playground is OPEN, RHS OPEN and full of people, rectangle of tarmac in a field CLOSED.

Right

Because recreational sport is cancelled?

He’s not playing a sport?

It's like this at our local park, the playground is open but the unfenced, rectangle of concrete next to it that has skateboard ramps on it is "closed"?

But it’s not open just for people to use individually. Like you say, it’s to discourage groups of children/people congregating and playing.

All the sports courts around us are locked up, as are the playgrounds. Football pitches are a bit more tricky, but people are being moved on.

Because its a basketball court and its closed so people don't congregate to play basketball?

Does it have a barrier round it or is it an open space?

It’s an open space. The fenced playground next to it was full of families but that’s ok apparently

You're right, it makes no sense to close that whilst leaving fields/parks open!

Skateboarding is exercise though. Or is the difference between exercise and recreation is your enjoyment of it?

@dementedpixie

Because its a basketball court and its closed so people don't congregate to play basketball?

Does it have a barrier round it or is it an open space?

This. Basketball involves groups of people leaping about, often at close quarters, passing an object between them.

Surely it’s not difficult to understand it’s not that the area is a bit of tarmac, it’s what it has been designated for that means it is shut.

So put up a sign saying no group sports/activities then? Why close the whole space which can be used for many other things?

Because it's the thin end of the wedge. The police and everyone else are fed up of people driving a cart and horse through the rules. If they leave the basketball court open, you can bet that someone will come along with two kids and decide that as "there's only two and they are from the same family" they can play. After they have been playing for ten minutes, someone else comes along, wants to play, gets fed up of waiting so starts playing at the other end of the court, then their friend arrives and thinks it is ok to join in - the original person doesn't feel confident enough to stop them, someone sees four people playing and either decides to phone the police or thinks that if no-one else if obeying the rules then they'll come along and play as well.

Because the fun police have been out. Everyone knows the only kind of exercise that's allowed is whichever you enjoy the least. Smiling is also not advised and could be subject to fines. They've closed the skatepark here too.

I checked my my council website to find out the latest and it said all play areas and parks were open, but it hasn’t been updated since 5th Nov!!

I then contacted my local PCSO but they said check with the council as they don’t know what’s open or not - so how are they enforcing the rules if they don’t know what’s open or not??!!

I have emailed the council to ask for clarification

The rectangle of tarmac used for basket ball and kicking balls about in our park was open yesterday, with a group of teenagers using it. Playground next to it also in use.

I live next to a huge car park, it is now completely empty. Loads of kids, scooting, rollerblading and skateboarding everyday. Is there somewhere like that for you?

I agree though he should be allowed to skate on the tarmac.

Isn't basketball a team sport?

@LH1987 we’d have to drive to get to anywhere like that - ironically I was trying to stick to the ‘keep local’ guidance! 🤣

Because the public health benefits of people being out and doing sport is totally unimportant to most and therefore to local and central government.
It's a total disgrace considering the fact that we are the fat man of Europe and that both child and adult obesity levels are still rising, even though we know that obesity and its related health issues are co-morbidities for Covid (and of course a panoply of other illnesses).
If people - both those in power, and individuals - put as much energy into healthier lifestyles as they do into screaming about masks and people sitting on benches, we would have a far better level of health in the population and might not be quite such a burden on the NHS.
A start would be allowing sport.

@cushioncovers

Isn't basketball a team sport?

You can play "one on one" so you can be from the same household, or practise shooting hoops so you can be on your own.

I saw kids doing football practise earlier near a playground I went to. Except they were all kicking their own ball and only engaging with their parent and/or sibling.

Our council playgrounds and parks are essentially run by volunteers.

I've just been ignoring the closed sign on the football pitch round our way. The actual park is a sodden muddy mess, so much easier and safer to let toddlers run on the tarmac. Can see why someone less confident wouldn't though. Sad times.