South Texas heat keeps Tuloso-Midway football team indoors

Last week a few area high schools started class and that means for some of them, like Tuloso-Midway, the boys of fall are back! The first week of high school football practice in South Texas comes with excitement and is mixed with anxiety for coaches wanting to keep the student athletes safe in this heat. The heat wave this week in South Texas has hit triple digits, forcing area high schools to adjust practice times. Luckily for the Warriors, they have an indoor facility. Last year Tuloso-Midway’s 20,000 square foot FEMA Safe Room facility, that cost $5.1 million, was completed, and now the players are reaping the benefits. "This dome has been amazing; it has really helped us out. You know the heat index, as high as they are, we want to keep kids safe and want to keep kids hydrated. Having this facility enables us to come out and do stuff and not have to worry about heat. We talk about hydration all the time, and we go out some, but when it is hot like today, this has been a godsend for us," said Tuloso-Midway Head Football Coach Wade Miller. With high school football players returning to the field, coaches are paying close attention as the extreme heat continues. "The temperature in here is supposed to be set on 78 all the time, but it feels a little cooler. You walk outside, and its 90 degrees and with the humidity, it feels like 110. So we are able to get work done without worrying about injuring our kids, " said Miller. Frequent water breaks and breathers are mandatory. Coaches said they expect this kind of broiling heat here in South Texas. So they keep a close eye on the plays and the players. "We talk to them every day on how hot it is outside. We understand we have to be climatized when we play games at the end of August. But the most important thing is to keep them safe, and we stress that everyday, and we want to make sure we are hydrated and cool but still able to get all the work done that we need to get done, "said Miller. The beginning of high school football season is weeks away, and the coaches say they are prepared to tackle a hot summer of preseason practice. Tuloso-Midway Band Director Ray Chapa tells KRIS 6 TV that marching rehearsals will go from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with water breaks every 20 minutes. August 1st they will switch to 7:00 a.m. morning rehearsals and continue these morning practices till the end of football season. "I keep an eye everyday on the heat advisories and adjust my afternoon rehearsals as needed. Sometimes, we stay inside and rehearse in the band hall," said Tuloso-Midway Band Director Ray Chapa.