A hot, humid start for some in fall sports
One coach called it hot, humid, gross and sticky when describing the conditions during the first week of workouts in preparation for the 2017 fall sports season.
But enough about those two-a-day practices last week, the first week that teams could practice in football and soccer according to Idaho High School Activities Association rules.
ALL KIDDING aside, the smoke in the area last week wasn’t great, but it didn’t affect teams as they prepare to start games in the coming weeks.
“We really lucked out,” said Blaine Bennett, who will begin his second season as Post Falls football coach when the Trojans host Sandpoint on Aug. 25 at Trojan Stadium. “We were able to have our practices at the normal time (they’ve been practicing in the morning and early afternoon), getting some meetings in, and kids were able to go lift in the weight room. It didn’t affect us, though we thought we’d have to move our first game.”
Area schools keep track of the Air Quality Index when it comes to making decisions on practicing or not practicing.
The “unhealthy for most” level mark is 150, where teams often opt to call off outdoor practices and move inside to the gymnasium, or classroom to review film.
“Luckily, we follow the athletic director’s cue on that,” said Coeur d’Alene boys soccer coach Jeff Lake, who begins his seventh season. “We were right under it, and it didn’t alter us too much.”
Two years ago, Post Falls — and many others — opted to move games on the opening weekend to the Kibbie Dome in Moscow to avoid hazardous conditions in the area. The lone area team that opened at home was Lakeland, which hosted Lewiston. Conditions were better in Rathdrum that night, allowing the game to go off without issue.
“Last year, we had to cancel a couple of practices,” Bennett said. “It was bad, but wasn’t at the level we didn’t have to cancel anything.”
AS THE smoke drifted away for workouts on Monday, second-year Lake City boys soccer coach Alan Rich called it a welcomed moment.
“Last week, we practiced early,” Rich said. “It was hot, humid, gross and sticky. We kept a close eye on things, but practices went fine.”
With a little bit of rain on Monday, the conditions changed for the better.
“Showing up to practice with a breeze, and some fresh air was great for everyone,” Rich said. “The smoke really didn’t alter what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Lake believes that his team can benefit from practicing in some bad conditions.
“I honestly think that with how tough it was, it’s going to benefit us,” Lake said. “For the first week of training, it was smoky, in the 90s and hot. Now, when it’s in the 80s, we’re fit. At the end of the day, it’s going to help us down the line. I really think it’s going to help us.”
Starting soon, we’ll get a chance to see how much it does.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.