Another staple of Hoosier life must change in the face of coronavirus as basketball hoops at more than 90 courts are being blocked off by Indy Parks to prevent group play and help maintain social distancing guidelines. Courts in Hamilton County have been closed, as well.

"The patterns of use we are seeing in our parks concerns me greatly," Linda Broadfoot, the director of Indy Parks and Recreation, said in a Tuesday afternoon news release that announced the closures.

"Our team wholeheartedly supports fitness and recreational activities," Broadfoot said in the release, "but at this time we need the public’s help to practice social distancing, take health precautions, and avoid gathering in groups."

Social distancing outside: Trails could be closed if rules ignored

The closures come after many recreational leagues had already been suspended or canceled in the basketball-loving state.

"It hits different here," said Ryan Abbott, whose league played only one week before being delayed.

Abbott, a revenue forecaster for the Indiana Department of Transportation by day, helps run the Game Time Basketball Association, which he said has played 23 seasons over the course of about 10 years. He said he hasn't seen anything like this before.

“It’s impossible to predict what will happen moving forward,” Abbott said.

In the meantime, the league isn't going completely dormant. It has been replicated online, where they've used NBA 2K20 to recreate the rosters and even the jerseys. Teams duke it out in the game and stream the action for others to watch.

"We’ve kind of adapted to make people retain interest in the league," he said.

Basketball video games are helping other Hoosiers who can't play.

“That’s my little fix for sports right now,” said John Sonntag, whose league with CCA Sports has been postponed.

"It's definitely tough," he said. "It's definitely upsetting."

Sonntag, a 25-year-old who works for a pharmaceutical company, said it's not as much fun to play without others. Still, he understands why the courts were closed.

Troy Williams, a 29-year-old student who has played for several different leagues in the area, agreed.

“When I saw the videos of 15 to 20 people outside playing basketball, I can understand why they made that move,” Williams said.

The closures have thrown off his routine.

“It’s something I look forward to doing every week to break up the monotony of the work week,” Williams said.

'Sacrificing basketball in Indiana'

The closures may be a first. Nobody on Indy Parks staff could remember closing the courts like this, spokesperson Ronnetta Spalding told IndyStar.

It's not known how many people will be affected by the closures. Spalding said Indy Parks does not track attendance on its outdoor courts.

Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation has closed its two courts and removed rims from hoops.

Michael Klitzing, the director of parks and recreation, said the courts were being used despite social distancing guidelines.

"If we want to get back to normal anytime soon, we all need to temporarily stop acting like normal," Klitzing said. "This even includes sacrificing basketball in Indiana, which is certainly a meaningful statement given the sport’s strong connection with many Hoosiers."

Hamilton County Parks and Recreation has also closed its basketball court in Cool Creek Park in the Carmel/Westfield area.

"Of course all (Hamilton County Parks and Recreation) staff look forward to the day when our park visitors won’t think twice about enjoying a friendly pick-up game of b-ball and a little bit of Hoosier Hysteria for themselves in Cool Creek Park," spokesperson Don Nicholls said.

While Hoosiers look forward to having basketball back, Ryan Abbott still thinks closing the courts was the right thing to do.

“It was something that had to happen," Abbott said. "It’s not the popular decision, but it’s the correct decision.”

Email IndyStar digital producer Ethan May at emay@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @EthanMayJ.