DAVID ALTER
Special To Argonauts.ca
David Alter is a reporter and sportscaster for Toronto’s Sports Radio THE FAN 590. David covers the Argos and has covered football at every level dating back to 2003.
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TORONTO — There is an expression out there that states, ‘anything in excess can be too much’. That adage is one that doesn’t appear to be the case over at Argos camp, as the team wrapped up its second and final week of two-a-day practice sessions.
Two-a-days affect everyone differently. For a rookie or a newcomer, it can bring on a feeling of nervousness as you try and showcase your ability to the coaching staff.
For the Boatmen, a typical day involves two power practices where they hold two sessions back-to-back in the morning, while spending the rest of the day studying the playbook, working out, watching film and meeting with the coaching staff.
“Sleep is a rarity but even when you are awake, you are trying to spend time on the playbook and not trying to think much of anything else,” says rookie offensive lineman Joe Eppele who talked about the grind on the final day.
Eppele, like many players, preferred the back-to-back power practices over the traditional two-a-day morning and afternoon sessions that the coaching staff held for just a couple days, and is more common at other camps.
“It gives us more chance to recover and stay warmer rather than come back in the afternoon when we are all stiff and sore,” says Eppele, who also stresses that the only time he wasn’t thinking of football was just before bed.
From a transitional standpoint, defensive backs coach Orlondo Steinauer is finding the adjustment of training camp to be one that is a lot less demanding on his body, rather more time-consuming in terms of study and prep, making his day longer than he is used to. “Wake up at 5:45 a.m., and go home to get ready for bed at 10:00 p.m. at night,” says Steinauer. “We’re human beings too and we love the game and it’s a part of who we are. But it’s not who we are as a whole.”
As for Head Coach Jim Barker, the end of two-a-days is something he will miss, suggesting that he could go another two weeks. “It is my favourite time of the year, where you get to have the players around you all day long,” says Barker. “For a coach, it’s kind of a two week fantasy vacation. A lot of times, I like to sleep in the office just because it’s training camp. It’s just a fun time to be coach, and you miss that once the season starts.”
Think about the one thing you are passionate about. Try being consumed with it for 16 hours-a-day, every day, for an extended period of time. The sheer commitment that a team has to the game of football is an amazing thing. The amount of study, the pain, the drain it can be on a family to the grind of collecting a pay cheque. Only the strongest both physically and emotionally will survive. But it’s the passion to play the game that keeps these guys going.