WINNIPEG — Every sprint on the field equals a spike on Matt Barr’s laptop.
“We’re just looking for a competitive edge,” Manitoba Bisons football team’s strength and conditioning coach said.
It’s why the Herd has gone high tech. Players now wear GPS trackers during practices and games. The Bisons is the first Canadian football club, CFL included, to use the device.
“There’s maybe an idea in the CIS that this is just the CIS so we’re not going to do things at the highest level possible,” Barr said. “I don’t agree with that because the results matter.”
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The small, black pod monitors every thing a player does, every minute he’s on the field. Data shows how fast he moves, how much he runs and even how hard he’s hit.
“If a player has been involved in several collisions and a high amount of sprinting, there’s a good chance he’s sore and we might have to reduce his reps that week,” Barr said.
Adjustments that are helping to keep the Herd healthy.
“It’s such a short season,” linebacker DJ Lalama said. “You need the most out of your bodies in that short amount of time.”
The Bisons have yet to lose any players to hurt hamstrings this season. At this point last year, four players had injured their thigh muscle.
“The more healthy guys we can get on the field, the competition goes up in practice,” defensive back Zack Sandulescu said. “Preparation increases. We can bring a higher intensity when game time comes around.”
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