Smoke and Softball
 

I'm not sure there is any good advice for this, but just in case, I'm asking for help.

We have a tournament Sunday - I'll be working 9 hours (6 games) with 5 15 minute breaks. Most of the teams will be playing at least 3 games. Trouble is -- we are an hour south of the fires in Magnolia Texas, and 2 hours east of the Bastrop fires. The smoke in our area has been pervasive. Not to the point that you visibly see it all the time... but to the point that you smell it often and after being outside for about a half hour yesterday I was coughing.

So ... any advice for A) the umpires that will be out in this for 9 hours ... not really sprinting, but active. Or B) the girls that will be active and running hard for about half that. Willing to consider anything other than simply not working (and the decision about whether to cancel is not in my hands - I would not be surprised if they were thinking about it ... looking for advise assuming the tourney goes on.)

That's a tough one.....about the only thing I can think of is to wear one of those disposable surgical type masks or the kind that painters and construction workers wear. Might not help with the smell, but may help keep some of the particulates out of your lungs.

Mike - just curious to find out what happened with this over the weekend...

We were lucky. The fires got better in Magnolia, and the wind was such that I never smelled a whiff. So no issues at all.

Only weirdness came during a moment of silence at 8:37 ... interrupted by a very loud and very low flying military plan. Rather eerie really.

Only moment of note during the games came from one coach who had Softball Tourrettes. He didn't randomly curse... instead he would randomly yell out bizarre softball advice that very often didn't fit the situation at all. Very often ... like nearly between every pitch regardless of whether he was batting or not. Became humorous by the middle of the 1st game we had him in ... and we got him 4 times. Perhaps the oddest was his yelling of TURN TWO!!!! while his team was batting. Did this 7 or 8 times during the day.

Could give new meaning to your topic "Smoke and Softball"?
What's that smell?

Now we are back to the grass issue!!!! :rolleyes: