New pavilion keeping Poteet High School athletes cool
MESQUITE (CBSNewsTexas.com) - High school football practices are underway, but, to many players, the toughest opponent is the heat. In Mesquite ISD, a creative solution is helping them tackle the temperatures safely. They have a new practice pavilion that provides shade and even a little breeze, and they said it's a game-changer.
When the Friday Night Lights come on, the Poteet High School football team will be ready. Other districts, like Dallas, have a "no fly zone" policy - meaning they can't practice in sweltering heat. Coach Rodney McLain knows the feeling.
"Every fall, going into the season, we have missed about 22 to 25 practices because of the heat. This will change everything," he said.
The new pavilion is between 20 and 22 degrees cooler than the actual temperature.
"You still have a breeze that blows through and kind of cools the kids off," he said. "You look outside, there's no trees moving. But underneath here you can feel the breeze."
And it's not just for football. It can be converted for soccer, baseball, volleyball, and more. It's also a fine arts facility. The marching band has already started practicing in it.
"We can come out here and we have a full 100-yard football field in order to participate, work on drill for the shows," said Michael Stringer, Director of Fine Arts for Mesquite ISD.
Coach McLain is looking forward to the advantage the pavilion will provide competitively.
"People always talk about, 'You want kids to practice in the heat because they're going to play in the heat.' Well, yes and no. You also want to have kids prepared to where they're hydrated going into a ballgame. So that in and of itself is an advantage," he said.
But he said, it goes far deeper than winning. His father, a fellow coach, died of a heat-related heart attack at work. He said this investment by the district illustrates a commitment to safety for everyone.
"When I look at my coaches also, I want to make sure that they're taken care of, and I cannot express how much difference this is going to make for kids and coaches alike."
All five traditional high schools in Mesquite ISD will have a practice pavilion by the end of the year. The price tag to the district was around $25 million.