Nutrition key to surviving long CFL season

"SPORTSNET.CA recently had the chance to speak with Dave Wright, the head athletic therapist for the Toronto Argonauts. Wright is responsible for overseeing all of the team’s medical needs, from training to rehabilitation to in-game assessment and emergency care.

We wanted to know what level of emphasis the Argos placed on nutrition in getting their players ready for the many practices and games throughout the season. It turns out that what each player eats during the day depends alot on the position he plays and his age. While Wright was kind enough to go into detail about what the club is currently doing for it's players, he also discussed what he would like the Argos to do if he had unlimited funds."

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Fantuz welcomed back by Roughriders

"The return of Andy Fantuz to the Saskatchewan Roughriders wasn't without some drama.

On Wednesday, the allstar slotback practised with the Riders for the first time since clearing NFL waivers Sunday. Fantuz, who was released by the Chicago Bears on Friday, created some concerns among the railbirds when he left practice early with athletic therapist Ivan Gutfriend.

Fantuz told the media that he was fine following Wednesday's practice at Mosaic Stadium. The nervousness was to be expected considering the hype that has surrounded Fantuz's every move since he signed with the Bears on Feb. 3. Fantuz was cut after having two receptions for 19 yards in four pre-season games. Fantuz was even greeted by a standing ovation when his picture was shown on the MaxTron during Sunday's 27-7 win over the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers."

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Prayer helps Simpson's recovery

"The middle linebacker with the Saskatchewan Roughriders has been nursing a rib injury since the CFL team returned to practice on Sunday. Simpson was considered doubtful for Sunday's game against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers. On Thursday, Simpson returned to his familiar position as the team's starting middle linebacker.

"I told (Saskatchewan's director of athletic therapy) Ivan Gutfriend and the coaches that I would be going into the prayer closet on Wednesday and when I came out, I would be ready to go,'' said Simpson, who is a minister during the offseason and is nicknamed the Minister of Defence. "I feel good and I thank God for that.''"

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Stamps nursed back to health

"Bye-bye, bumps.

Bye-bye, bruises.

Welcome back, boys.

The Calgary Stampeders got back to business Monday morning at McMahon Stadium, returning to practice for the first time after a week-long layoff and keeping head athletic therapist Pat Clayton a bit less busy than he’s been in recent memory.

“Patty Clayton was joking that everybody was in (the training room) trying to get healthy for the bye week, trying to get going. It was packed before that and it was empty today,” grinned Stamps fullback Rob Cote, who is primed to return to the lineup after missing four games with a knee injury.

“I think everybody is feeling good.”"

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Invaders prevail in playoff opener

"In between those two high points, though, the Invaders lost receiver Nigel Couchman to a broken left leg. The game was delayed about 20 minutes before Couchman was transported to hospital in an ambulance.

According to Invaders athletic therapist Sonia Bougie, Coachman broke the fibula and tibula in his lower leg when players from both sides rolled up the back of his legs.

He will require surgery."

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This arm has guts

"The story goes Pierce did not take the news well and underwent a swell of different emotions. The quarterback steered around the question and that's understandable.

But when the crying and screaming was done, Pierce set his mind on one thing and set it hard.

"It never crept into my mind that I'd be done. By the time Al (Bombers athletic therapist Al Couture) got to the hospital, I let him look at the X-rays and then I was like, 'How many weeks? What's the game plan? Can I get started on Monday?'"

Pierce has that irrepressible quality people like in their heroes. Running on to the field with his Bombers to open against the Tiger-Cats is a testament to his mental strength.

"Having someone tell you this is the end, after a career like mine that's been interrupted and with me still wanting to accomplish so much more, it's not easy," said Pierce. "But it's not what defines me. I won't let it. I have things to do in this game and I'm going to do them.""

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Sinopoli impresses the top guy

"You know when you’re quoting Twitter that it was another relatively quiet day at training camp.Nik Lewis left the field with athletic therapist Pat Clayton about a half hour remaining in Monday’s afternoon session, but the star slotback was smiling and head coach John Hufnagel didn’t seem too concerned, saying Lewis’ leg muscles were just a bit tight and required some ice.

As expected, right guard Dimitri Tsoumpas missed both practice sessions with a sore hamstring, but there were no other additions to the list of injured players.

Left tackle Edwin Harrison (pectoral), defensive linemen Corey Mace (back) and Khari Long (ankle), cornerback Andre Clarke (ankle) and receiver Tyrre Burks (hamstring) continue to sit."

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Blue Bombers quarterback Buck Pierce looking to rebound after elbow injury

"In his last 27 starts, Pierce has left the game 10 times because of injury.

But this latest injury was different.

"From the research we looked at, as far as we knew there wasn't a professional quarterback that sustained that injury to their throwing elbow and has come back from it," Bomber head athletic therapist Alain Couture said.

He noted NFL New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees dislocated his elbow in the 2007 Pro Bowl, but it was to his non-throwing arm and he continued his career the following season.

Pierce's injury happened when he fell during the Labour Day game when his right elbow banged against a Saskatchewan player's helmet.

When he returned to Winnipeg, Couture says his arm was two and half times its normal size, adding that there was a "small fracture."

Still, a decision was made to put Pierce on the road to recovery right away.

"It definitely in a way was a bit of an experiment, absolutely," Couture said. "But we did consult with a number of people.


"Our doctor has contacts in the NFL and we kind of did a round table as to this is what we've got, this is what we're thinking of doing. Nobody else had experienced it before so we went with what we thought we should do."

That was an aggressive rehab plan, beginning with Pierce getting treatment twice a day, seven days a week, with ice and range-of-motion work.

"The elbow, if you leave it, it's a smaller joint and if that starts to thicken and that scar tissue starts to form, it's going to be stiff and then you'll never get the range of motion back," Couture explained.

"We had about a two-week window from the time he injured it to get most of that range of motion back or else I don't think he was going to get it back ever."

Pierce was up for the challenge.

"(Couture) got me back really throwing again a little after a month," he said.

"And I wanted to get myself back early, too, because I wanted to make sure that everyone here knew that I wasn't done."

Pierce had surgery in November because the amount of scarring that did take place was putting pressure on the nerves. He was also starting to lose strength and sensation in his fourth and fifth finger.

Once January rolled around, Pierce was into a regular strength-and-conditioning program five days a week.

He says staying in Winnipeg for treatment was the right decision."

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Riders’ Durant was an early bloomer

"The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ marquee player cheerfully signed autographs alongside fellow quarterbacks Ryan Dinwiddie and Cole Bergquist as part of the kickoff to KidSport Month.

Afterward, Durant fielded a lighthearted question about whether he would have to consult Roughriders athletic therapist Ivan Gutfriend to deal with writer’s cramp.

"We have to throw this afternoon at three o’clock,” Durant said with a chuckle. “I have to make sure I get a little rehab, just to get it right for this afternoon.”"

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Mac kicker makes recovery his goal

"A former Team World player at the Under-19 level against Team USA, Crapigna’s goal remains to be a professional kicker. He connected on 8-of-12 field goal attempts for Mac, including a 47-yarder. He also punted 49 times for a 33.4 average.

“I can improve,” he said. “I’m mainly focused on school and getting this leg back into working condition.”

Chris Puskas, a former trainer with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts for 17 years, recently took over head athletic therapist duties at McMaster. He’s been monitoring Crapigna’s recovery. Mac’s kicking coach and special teams assistant Dana Segin, however, has no doubt that Crapigna will be back in the lineup."

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Job Opportunity: Hamilton Tiger-Cats Head Therapist

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a member of the Canadian Football League (CFL) with a rich 142-year history, which includes 15 Grey Cup Championships.  Currently, the team is seeking an enthusiastic, self-motivated, organized individual to fill the role of Head Athletic Therapist. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for the care of Tiger-Cats players, including injury prevention, recognition, treatment, and rehabilitation
• Primary liaison between physicians, athletes, coaches and Football Operations staff
• Provides supervision of assistant athletic trainers and graduate assistant athletic trainer(s)
• Purchasing of athletic training room supplies and equipment
• Administration of athletic training room and department policies
• Administration of athlete medical records and physicals

QUALIFICATIONS/OTHER: 

The Tiger-Cats are seeking an individual with experience with contact sports who has demonstrated a capacity to implement pre-participatory and rehabilitative programs to aid in the ongoing development of the team. This person should possess a Bachelor degree in athletic therapy or equivalent and a understanding of athletic performance. 

Application deadline:  April 4, 2011

Starting date:  April 2011 

Reports to:  Director of Football Operations 

Salary: Full-time, commensurate with knowledge and experience

Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter to Shawn Burke, Director of Football Operations, via e-mail at sburke@ticats.ca

Official Job Posting

Argonauts ink Cory Boyd to contract extension

"Boyd has slimmed down over the winter, also with help from new Argonauts head athletic therapist Dave Wright. He said he’s close to 215 pounds again and has changed his diet, opting for fruit, yogurt, protein shakes – food he rarely ate before. He has a hard time staying away from McDonald’s, “but only for the chicken wraps” now, he laughed."

Insider: The Fan Forum

"Q: What is the status of Jesse Lumsden?

Coach Huff: At this time, it’s all hearsay because I have not personally seen Jesse but the conversation that his therapist is having with our athletic therapist, Pat Clayton, is that things are going well. Right now, the forecast is sometime around September, he may be ready to play. Obviously, he won’t be here in training camp as far as an active participant. I believe Jesse is coming into town by the end of the month and we’ll visit and we’ll see what future he may have with football. I know he wants to play and I’d like him to play for the Stampeders."

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Forde: Observations from day two at CFL's e-camp

"I'm always amused when people do things a certain way for no real reason except that it's the way they've always done it. The events used in football testing provide a classic example of this.

Seriously, who cares how fast an offensive lineman can sprint forty yards in a straight line? Are you really going to adjust an O-Lineman's ranking on your draft board based on his ability to run down DBs after interceptions or his capacity to get downfield to cover missed field goals? As my friend and former Tiger-Cat athletic therapist Chris Puskas remarked, "If an O-Lineman is sprinting forty yards, then clearly something bad has happened.""

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Regehr gets some revenge on Burris

"Defenceman Cory Sarich is also a massive Riders supporter. Schad Richea, the assistant athletic therapist, is diehard for the men in green."

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VANSTONE: From survival mode to success, Greg Marshall has seen it all

""A lot of things have changed, but there's still some familiar faces,'' Marshall notes. "Geno's one. There's (athletic therapist) Ivan Gutfriend and Chris Szarka. Jeremy O'Day was here playing. Now he's going to be part of the organization. Brendan Taman was here in a different role.

"There's a number of (familiar) people around the office, but just the way the club does business, from the top down to the bottom, has changed radically. That has led to the success that they've been able to achieve the last little while. Our job is to keep the train on the tracks.''"

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Trainer Chris Puskas heads to McMaster after 13 years with Ticats

"After 13 seasons with the Tiger-Cats, head athletic therapist Chris Puskas has left the organization to accept a similar position at McMaster University.

Puskas originally joined the Ticats in 1998 following four years with the Toronto Argonauts athletic therapy staff.

“I’m ready for a new challenge and working at McMaster is a great opportunity,” said Puskas, who was part of Grey Cup championship teams with both Hamilton and Toronto.  “McMaster has absolutely first-class facilities so it’s a great environment to work in.  I think adjusting to dealing with student-athletes rather than professionals will be a challenge as the motivations are different, and the pros don’t have to deal with as many outside distractions as students.  I’m very excited about starting this new stage of my career.”

The Ticats search for a Puskas' replacement will begin soon."

McMaster press release

Ticats blog

Lazeo 'inspired guys’

"He thanked Stampeders GM/head coach John Hufnagel, athletic therapist Pat Clayton, equipment manager George Hopkins and a host of teammates past and present."  Read More...

See a therapist!

Rod Pedersen, the voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, blogs about the CATA's media release on concussions.  Read More...

It's a whole new game for injury expert

"You might think an episode of House, or maybe even Grey's Anatomy, might be of some interest to T.D. Forss when he isn't tending to the battered and bruised Edmonton Oilers. 

But truth be told, on those rare occasions when he does put his feet up, there are no medical dramas programmed into his television remote. Instead, it's Dancing With the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance, or whatever dance show his daughters have chosen to watch. 

"My girls are competitive dancers so when I get to watch TV, it's usually what they're watching -- and it's usually a dance show," said Forss. 

"I haven't told anyone that. Let's keep that quiet." 

Meet the Oilers' head athletic therapist, one of several newbies working for the team this season. The 41-year-old University of Alberta grad, recruited from the Edmonton Eskimos in the off-season, recently took a few minutes out of his day to talk about the transition."

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