Article taken from York Region Era-Banner

by: John Cudmore

Physical fitness is the behind-the-scenes aspect of an athlete's existence fan typically don't get to view. There isn’t much time for an extended off-season in an elite athlete’s life.

 

Certainly not in this competitive age in which your replacement may be lurking around the next corner, waiting to swipe that hefty contract right out of your hand. An overly extended off-season might translate into early retirement or at least a job re-location to another city.

 

Without off-season training, what kind of career can an athlete anticipate?

 

Few are eager to find out the consequences of shirking training regimens.

 

“They’re playing for jobs, so it makes total sense,” said Jim Reeves, a certified athletic therapist and conditioning and strength co-ordinator for Mississauga’s Mind To Muscle, a sports medicine and conditioning centre.  

 

“At that level, it’s a cold, harsh reality.

 

“One of the defining characteristics which shows through is commitment and willingness to follow through and improve yourself. In elite athletes, talent is always there, you can’t change genetic gifts.”

 

The very nature of elite athletes relates to competitiveness not only against on-field opponents, but also one’s self. Discipline is the backbone of any successful training program.

 

“I’m very motivated,” said Aurora’s Mark Heese, who, at 38, remains one of Canada’s premier men’s beach volleyball players and a veteran of three Olympics Games. He trains at Mind To Muscle when he’s not playing on tour.

 

“When you have elite aspirations, I think the motivation level is naturally high. Still, it’s not easy getting up and driving down to Mind to Muscle at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. It’s not really a choice to stay fit or not, but a built-in discipline to perform at the highest level.

 

“For me, there is the necessity of taking what I have done in the gym and making it work in the sand as well, which is a little more demanding.”

 

During his off-season, Atlanta Braves infielder Pete Orr is busy five days a week with training, mostly on refining his swing. But he also hits the gym for about an hour prior to meeting up with Braves teammate Scott Thorman of Cambridge at a baseball training facility in Mississauga. If he minds, he’s in no position to argue, noting self-discipline isn’t a problem.

 

“No, because you take it as part of your job,” said Orr, who grew up and played youth baseball in Newmarket. “If you don’t go, you feel bad or guilty. For me, I’m not in a position to do that. Spring training is when I have to show what I can do to earn my job, so I have to be ready.

 

“It’s OK to have fun and have a good time in the off-season, but it is your job to be in camp and ready to go.”

 

Baseball is a sport in which training specifics reflect the skills and role an individual possesses within the team’s makeup. A power hitter, for instance, has requirements which differ vastly from those of a speedy singles hitter.

 

“Some guys have tried different kinds of workouts,” said Orr, who has played winter ball in Venezuela. “I guess a lot of guys are looking for what helps their body best. I think a lot of it is superstition, too.

 

“I’m not naturally flexible so I stretch a lot. And I do a lot of leg stuff on the (exercise) ball, too.”

 

Retired Canadian national women’s team rower Mara Jones of Aurora supports Orr’s observations when it comes to self-discipline.

 

“When you tell people you’ve missed two days of training, they laugh,” said Jones, 32, who competed in the Athens Olympics in 2004. “But you do lose your momentum. You are training year-round and there’s not much time off.

 

“You pick and choose your social events and your life becomes very organized. There’s not much free time, but that goes with my personality (which is) to not sit around.

 

“(Training) makes you efficient with your time,” she said. “If you are trying to balance things in your life in any way, it helps you keep focused on other things. I always find training helps me unwind. It’s a good way to reset yourself.

 

“I spent a lot of hours at it. It is rewarding, but it’s hard work. You have to be motivated and interested or it wears you down.”

 

Reeves, a Newmarket resident, designed a program for Heese that the beach volleyball star claims is fun, but also painful at times. With its quick bursts of activity combined with day-long tests of endurance on the court, beach volleyball requires strong aerobics and anerobics.

 

“It’s a program which hits on all areas I need,” Heese said. “Power, strength, muscle endurance, aerobic fitness and cardiovascular, it’s all there.”

 

Heese, whose season extends from May through October, appreciates the role conditioning plays to keep his career running smoothly.

 

“I feel I still have a couple of good years left,” said Heese, who is aiming for his fourth Olympic Games in Beijing, China next year. “Beach volleyball is one of those sports where experience counts, so if you can stay in shape you can still compete well into your thirties. Physical conditioning obviously plays a big role for an older athlete.

 

“Physical fitness is important for all athletes, but for beach volleyball it is an absolute must. You’re dealing with high temperatures, not to mention jumping and moving in sand.”

 

After a brief rest period to allow bumps and bruises to heal, Stephen Weiss of the Florida Panthers visits the gym six days a week to prepare for the next National Hockey League season. An older generation of NHLers, which would play itself into shape at training camp, would gasp at the off-season activities of the modern player.

 

“It’s pretty important, almost the most important thing in getting ready for the season,” said Weiss, the fourth overall pick by the Panthers in the 2001 draft. “People come up to us in the gym and say how hard we train and how disciplined we are. But it’s our job to take care of our bodies and make sure we are in shape.”

 

Weiss, a Markham resident, focuses on three important areas for his game: speedwork, weights and conditioning. He’ll find a few dates to skate in July and pick up the pace before heading to Florida in August.

 

“It takes time to get used to as an 18- or 19-year-old when you get to the league,” said the 24-year-old, a 20-goal scorer last season. “I think maybe you get a bit more leeway in your first year or so, but (then) your own expectations go up and the team’s expectations go up, too, so you have to take the off-ice stuff seriously. I think the quicker you learn it as a young guy, the better.”

 

To be sure, there is less kickin’ back at the cottage over the summer with a cooler at one’s feet.

 

“You can’t get away with it. Guys train too hard not to be serious.”

 

Reeves pointed out that a good training program includes a variety of focal points to enhance performance and prevent injuries.

 

“A lot of sport-specific conditioning is to undo what an athlete is doing in-season,” he said. “Striking a balance can prevent injuries and the best way to strike a balance is to create a solid foundation.

 

“There’s plenty of people putting lots of work into the off-season, but unless they work on the weak part of their game, they get minimal return on that training.

 

“They have the skill and are (competing) at that level for a reason, but often the difference is one area in which they are not developed. There is such a finite difference between success and failure.”

 

The time spent by elite athletes in training may be on the increase, but the payoff is worth it for those at an elite level.

 

“The amount of time put in during the off-season is equivalent to a full-time job,” said Heese. “If you don’t make it full-time, you won’t make it. When you want to compete with the best in the world, you have to be willing to work hard.”