The Knoxville Basketball Squads are back in the gym after a two week shutdown due to COVID-19 concerns. Both boys and girls squads were unable to play their final two games of the 2020 season and both coaches were worried how that would affect their teams. Girls Coach Jim Uitermarkt tells KNIA/KRLS Sports restarting the season is a lot like the first practice in November.

Uitermarkt:
“I told them in 28 years of coaching basketball at different levels it’s the first time that I’ve not seen my team for two solid weeks. So it was something different but we have to make the most of it, shake the rust off and it’s a lot like starting over.”

Uitermarkt adds, the waiting was the worst part knowing what day they were able to come back and it feeling farther away than normal. The boys were able to get back in the gym on December 30th and Coach Jeff Larson tells KNIA/KRLS Sports the first practice back from the extended break felt like day number one and he saw a lot of good things.

Larson:
“In a way it felt like our first practice of the year, but we got back into it. We learned some things and the kids worked hard, it was a good practice for us.”

Both teams will be on the court Tuesday for the first game of the 2021 portion of the season against Centerville. A double header you can hear on 95.3 KNIA.