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Smoke and high AQI push all Bend-La Pine HS sports inside; kids making the most of shared indoor spaces

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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- All sports activities at Bend-La Pine Schools were moved inside Wednesday due to the wildfire smoke that can pose health risks.

With the Air Quality Index at more than 150, all activities have to be moved indoors, per OSAA policy.

Schools like Bend High had to share space between football, volleyball, boys and girls soccer and cross country.

First year football Head Coach Kevin Cooper said during the morning sessions, all the teams split time in the gym, weight room, common areas and any spot with a high ceiling.

However, he says the kids were great at making the situation work and kept the bigger picture in mind. 

"So volleyball was from 8-10am, and at 10:01 football was in there,” Cooper said. “I mean, it's the school that never sleeps. We just work really well. We know everybody needs to get inside, and we just worked with other sports. Not one sport is more important than the other."

He emphasized how small sports can be in comparison to what could be happening with these wildfires. 

"Smoke is important for the people who are potentially losing property and things of that nature, so we have to put it in perspective, and I think that helps our kids understand what this is,” Cooper said. 

Cooper said the rest of this week, Plan A will be for a normal outdoor practice, with Plan B ready to head inside.

He's reminding all his players to bring cleats and sneakers, no crocs or flip-flops. 

Article Topic Follows: Sports

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Noah Chast

Noah Chast is a multimedia journalist for NewsChannel 21. Learn more about Noah here.

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