MCGREGOR, Texas (KWTX) – Football season starts in less than two weeks. Athletes practice outside in the heat almost every day. On Wednesday, however, high school students in McGregor practiced on a new field.

“They compacted the turf, made the necessary repairs and then rebuilt it and finished it off with the Eco-Therm system they installed,” said Quentin White, head football coach for McGregor ISD.

Thanks to a new filling material that cools the surface, players can stay on the field longer without overheating.

“On some of these hotter days, we actually found that the temperature of the turf and the ambient air directly above it was almost one to two degrees different from the temperature on the grass, which really shocked me,” White said.

Midway ISD is unique in that they have an indoor facility with fans for cooling, but still make sure their athletes stay hydrated.

“We also have water cows around the practice facility and things like that, so there’s always water available,” said Chad Mccune, Midway ISD head athletic trainer.

Whether indoors or outdoors, student well-being is always a top priority and healthy players are key to their success on and off the field.

“If you have any dizziness or upset stomach or anything like that, just let us know. We can easily take care of it, cool them down quickly and everything to make them feel better,” McCune said. “You really have to keep the guys you have healthy so they can continue to get better and perform and get better as a team.”

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