'Two-a-days' in Texas are a must for many athletes and those involved in marching band, but some districts have offered a bit of relief for those who have to hit the field in the form of indoor practice facilities.
Arlington ISD is the latest district to add them to campuses.
Six indoor facilities, including a 70-yard practice field in each, are under construction at all six traditional high schools in Arlington.
In Arlington, the need to create the facilities was driven by two things: a desire for extra space due to growth and the need to protect students from weather, like the extreme heat.
Inside the facilities, offices, weight rooms and locker rooms will be air conditioned, but the practice field will not. Large fans will be used to keep temperatures down, according to Arlington ISD Spokeswoman Leslie Johnson.
The shared facility will allow various sports and arts to schedule time indoors.
"We're excited about it," said Arlington High School Director of Bands Michael Hejny. "We have a wonderful head football coach, Scott Peach, and we've already had multiple meetings where we sat down and came up with a game plan on how we're going to make sure all fine arts and athletics have an opportunity to use the facility."
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The facilities are a part of a multi-million dollar bond package passed by voters in 2014.
The first facility to open will be at Arlington High School in a couple weeks. The remaining five facilities under construction will be completed in the fall.
Some districts with similar facilities include Frisco, Plano, HEB and Carroll, to name a few. However, the largest district in the metroplex, Dallas ISD, does not, according to spokesman Andre Riley.
