As the worst wildfires in state history continue to plague Washington state, coaches are faced with a unique dilemma: They have to find a way for their teams to get in practice time in a safe climate, and that means fighting for indoor space for outdoor sports.
As reported by Spokane NBC affiliate KHQ, the poor air quality across Washington has led to a number of bizarre practice sights. Girls cross country teams are running in school hallways instead of pristine wooded paths. Football teams are holding workouts in gyms. Some teams are even trading core in-sport training for general fitness work like ballet-inspired barre workouts.
It’s all the aftermath of air quality that has hovered in the dangerous range. With fall sports opening in the coming weeks, it’s possible that some programs may be a full week or more of training behind schedule.
The only silver lining? The air quality is bad just about everywhere in the state, so programs in Spokane near the fires aren’t alone.
“We’re making it work,” Mead high school girls cross country coach Dori Whitford told KHQ. “It’s crazy though.”
Added Rayanna Smith, one of Mead’s girls cross country captains: “It’s a little discouraging,” she said. “We’re not going to have the start to the season we expected.”