The summer heat has taken a toll on students’ extracurricular activities as the school year pushes into September.
After-school practices ramped up weeks ago in North Texas, and summer temperatures are reluctant to let up. The overall health and safety of students have been a top priority in the sweltering heat, forcing coaches to adjust. Many have been left with no choice but to cancel practices.
One local district may have come up with a solution – a way to mitigate those cancellations while keeping everyone safe. Mesquite ISD purchased multipurpose pavilions, which could become the new wave in high school sports.
Frank Sandoval is the campus coordinator and head football coach at West Mesquite High School. He said extreme heat caused major interruptions in preparing his team for games.
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“We would have to cancel practice. Sometimes we would have to delay practice,” Sandoval said. “Sometimes we would have to go in a gym and it’s really hard to simulate a football field in a gym or other spaces.”
For the past few weeks, the team has been able to practice under a multipurpose pavilion set up over the practice field, shielding both players and coaches from direct sunlight.
“We’ve had it for about a month and it is awesome,” he said. “When they come out here and it feels good and it doesn’t take a toll on them as much, practices are usually a little bit better.”
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The pavilion comes on the heels of a new UIL recommendation that coaches and athletic directors test both the temperature and the humidity before practices or games, using what’s called a WBGT device.
WBGT stands for wet bulb, globe, and temperature index. It’s a more sophisticated way to not only measure heat, but humidity, wind, and solar radiation. The measurement can help determine whether modifications are needed during workouts and other activities.
Between better scientific devices and new pavilions, coaches are better equipped to facilitate safe practices.
“It’s like a natural wind tunnel. Like, you can see the wind is blowing and this is constant,” Sandoval said. “So, any time you come underneath here, it doesn’t matter if it’s in the morning the afternoon, or the evening, you constantly have this gust of air that helps keep the kids cool.”
We’re told all five Mesquite high schools are expected to receive a multipurpose pavilion.
