It is with great concern for the overall health and safety of Alaska’s student athletes that we respectfully write to you and ask you to rescind the rule which you recently put into place requiring our student athletes to wear masks while practicing and competing in sports. 

This requirement defies a growing body of scientific data about significant negative health effects of physical exertion while wearing a mask.

This is directly from the Mayo Clinic, “it's recommended that you perform low- to moderate-intensity exercise rather than vigorous exercise while wearing a mask. This is because of the decreased airflow allowed through the mask which can affect breathing and your ability to properly regulate body temperature."

Athletes not just throughout the country, but also globally are currently competing in various sports without being required to wear a mask. Whether on the field, on the court or otherwise engaged in competition, their ability to breathe while exerting themselves is not impaired. It hardly makes sense that Alaska athletics would be an outlier in this regard. 

To be forced to restrict one’s breathing by order of a board of athletic governance while engaging in an otherwise healthy activity not only makes the activity more difficult, but it also could threaten the health and safety of our athletes, especially for those who may have underlying breathing issues, such as asthma.

To require athletes to “mask up” while competing is a penalty they should not be required to suffer. Please amend this rule and let our athletes breathe.

Respectfully, 

Alaska’s parents and students