Indoor training facilities a game changer for student athletes practicing in the Texas heat
CROWLEY (CBSNewsTexas.com) — North Crowley High School senior Ronnie Clayborn remembers what it was like to practice outdoors in the blazing summer heat.
"The pads get heavy, it gets hot under the helmet and then with hair on your head," said Clayborn, who plays on both the football and baseball team.
However, about three years ago, Crowley ISD built an indoor training facility that makes it a lot easier for him and his teammates to practice in the Texas summer heat.
"It offers shelters from the elements whether it be heat, whether it be [the] cold," said Greg Williams, the executive director of athletics for Crowley ISD. "Otherwise, they would have to cancel practice or they would have to go inside the building, and inside you don't have the same area, the same space."
Using thermometers to test the difference between the inside of the facility and outside of it, CBS News Texas found that while outdoor temperatures reached 112 degrees, the indoor facility peaked at 93.
"We've taken precautions as far as moving practices to the mornings," said Eli Reinhart, the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the football team.
Coaches in the district also get trained on how to identify heat-related illnesses and encourage players to stay hydrated before, during and after practice.
"The heat index, at a certain point in the day, will dictate how many breaks that we need to take during a certain practice," said Reinhart.
Coaches and students alike say this indoor facility has been a game changer when it comes to practicing all year-round. There's also a second indoor facility at the other high school in the district, Crowley High.
"We get to practice longer and the rain doesn't limit our practice. We can come in here and practice for however long we need to," said Clayborn.
Williams said it's becoming the norm for North Texas high schools and districts to have indoor facilities, and said if they don't—they're making plans to build them.