Leos play despite bad air

by Chrissy Zehrbach
Sports Editor

The massive wildfires blazing across Southern California have filled the air with ash and pollutants, creating an unhealthy breathing environment, leaving students, particularly athletes, at risk.

The smell of smoke has been in the air since the so-called Grand Prix fire started in Fontana last week. And since then, ash has been falling like snow and strong winds have been bringing debris into the area.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has advised residents throughout Southern California to "curtail outdoor activities if they smell smoke or see ash falling in their area."

"Residents, school and athletic officials should err on the side of caution and limit outdoor activities if air quality is forecast to be unhealthful, or if smoke moves into their areas," Joe Cassmassi, senior meteorologist for the District, said in a statement this week.

ULV took these precautions, as did many colleges and high schools across the region, and moved practices indoors.

"The risk is greatly reduced versus running around on the field," Paul Alvarez, clinical supervisor for the athletic training program, said about indoor practices.

Although some athletic practices were shortened or cancelled initially, ULV athletes continued to compete in outdoor contests throughout the firestorm week.

"We need to be concerned about our athletes," ULV Athletic Director Chris Ragsdale said.

Yet last weekend, as flames spread over the Claremont hillside, just a few miles away, the only ULV contest cancelled was a men's water polo game in Claremont. Pomona-Pitzer athletic director Charles Katsiaficas made the decision to cancel the game against ULV after discussing the conditions with coaches and trainers.

"It just seemed to make sense that we might want to take a day to evaluate things," Katsiaficas said. "You just want to make a good common sense decision on what is best for everyone."

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, of which ULV is a member, does not have a conference commission that would make these decisions on behalf of the whole conference, said Alvarez.

Ragsdale added that it is up to the athletic director at the host school to decide whether to cancel or postpone games.

Meanwhile, the men's and women's soccer teams competed in Thousand Oaks Saturday, receiving winds from the Simi Valley fire.

Alvarez said the winds were worse during the women's game, and some athletes had reported coughing symptoms.

But coughing is only one of the short-term effects of smoke inhalation. Other short-term effects include scratchy throat, headache, runny nose, irritated sinuses and itchy or stingy eyes. Long-term effects could include respiratory impacts such as asthma. People with heart or lung disease could have further complications.

Even the healthiest people could be affected by smoke in the air because it is so harmful and can irritate the eyes and airways in various ways.

According to Cassmassi: "Smoke contains a number of pollutants, from fine particulates to carbon monoxide to cancer-causing toxic air contaminants such as benzo-a-pyrene.

"Limiting outdoor activities and staying indoors can help reduce one's exposure to these pollutants," the memo said.

Smoke is a mixture of gasses and fine particles resulting from burning wood or other organic materials. Actual ingredients of smoke vary by fuel type, the temperature of the fire and the wind conditions.

Common ingredients include carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals and compounds.

As for ULV athletic teams, Ragsdale said they would "take it day-by-day."

"I'm going to show the utmost concern for the safety and well-being of all those folks involved in those contests," he said.

Ragsdale added that he could have made a determination not to play early on in the week, but he wanted to hold off on any decisions as long as he could to ensure the best situation for players, fans and everyone involved. For the time being, ULV teams were confined to indoor practices all week.

Conditions Wednesday appeared to be looking better. The sky was clearer and the winds had died down, so games were played as scheduled.

"It has been getting steadily better because the winds have now changed," Alvarez said, mentioning the winds were no longer coming from San Bernardino.

However, the SCAQMD still reported an unhealthy air quality that day.

Nonetheless, the soccer teams and the water polo team held competitions. The ULV-Caltech water polo contest Wednesday was the only SCIAC water polo competition that was not postponed that day.

"When planning for a contest, you can't decide five minutes before if you're going to play," Alvarez said.

The best advise is for all persons, not only athletes, to stay indoors as much as possible as long as there is smoke in the air and ash can be seen, and to wait to do outdoor activities until the air quality is determined to no longer be unhealthy.