Hot Springs athletic director Rodney Echols, left, and Darrell Burnett, Hot Springs head high school football coach, discuss the Hot Springs School District's new athletic facility and what it means for the community. - Photo by Richard Rasmussen of The Sentinel-Record Hot Springs athletic director Rodney Echols, left, and Darrell Burnett, Hot Springs head high school football coach, discuss the Hot Springs School District’s new athletic facility and what it means for the community. – Photo by Richard Rasmussen of The Sentinel-Record

Hot Springs School District recently completed its $3.5 million indoor athletic facility at Hot Springs World Class High School, the first of its kind in Garland County.

Adriane Barnes, the district’s communication director, said the indoor facility is 41,270 square feet, which includes a 40-yard practice field. The cost was district-funded.

The indoor facility will also include a turf field area, locker room, media room, weight room, batting cages, coaches’ offices, and a stand to record practices, said Rodney Echols, Hot Springs athletic director.

“We have no excuse to have some of the best athletic programs in the state. We want to be the best,” he said.

Echols said Hot Springs is the first district in Garland County to have an indoor facility. “It is one of the best facilities in the state of Arkansas,” he said.

He said it is a terrific feeling to have the practice field, which will be used for multiple sports regardless of the weather conditions. The band and other classes will use it, as well.

“HSSD (is) committed to providing the best facilities to benefit our students and athletes. We want to have one of the best indoor sports facilities in the state,” he said.

“This indoor facility will serve as an asset to our community. Not only does it benefit our students, but it benefits our parents and community that has invested in the education and the well-being of our kids,” Echols said.

Winter sports will be able to use the facility during the season and the district will be able to host community events in the facility, he noted.

“It is going to provide not just our student athletics but our community, as well,” Echols said.

Darrell Burnett, high school head football coach, said the indoor facility will allow the team to practice year-round.

“If you call yourself coaches and you get paid to coach, you should develop your athletes, and this is going to be a great (facility) to do that,” Burnett said.

“Our athletes are very excited about having this facility on our campus. We wanted to have something no one else has in this area,” Echols said.

He said the district is putting in the final touches of the facility, such as the rest of the weight room, noting they have to put the flooring and the weights in. Legend Fitness is working with Ecore Athletic, which will be providing the flooring, and Legend Fitness will provide the weight-room equipment.

“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility. We are going to have state-of-the-art equipment (and) state-of-the-art technology within that building,” he said.

Stephanie Nehus, school superintendent, said the indoor practice facility would allow the students to grow, learn and gain the skills and discipline for their lives after graduation. It will provide more space for the district to offer a world-class educational experience for the students.

“We couldn’t be more proud or more excited to get our kids into this new building,” she said.

Local on 01/20/2020

Print Headline: Hot Springs’ indoor practice field first of its kind in county

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