Toronto Argonauts make York their home for summer training

For the past 18 years, the Toronto Argonauts have held their annual summer training camp at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.
This tradition will be broken in June as York will be the new home for the Argos’ training camp this year.
The training camp will kick off on June 1. Canadian Football League athletes will be living on campus and taking advantage of the facilities that York has to offer. The various sport amenities available on campus drove the Argos’ decision to train here at York.
The Lions’ new turf field is a key as a factor in the decision, as the Argos team is accustomed to playing on artificial grass.
The Lions’ turf field made its debut this past September in a homecoming win against Laurier’s Golden Hawks. The turf field at York provides the Argos with a  familiar practice surface away from the drama of downtown.
Argos CEO Chris Rudge has expressed his desire to move the team from the Rogers Centre into a new permanent home, due to constant pressure from the Blue Jays organization.
The Jays want to play on real grass that won’t be destroyed after every Argos game. They just want the Argos off their lawn. The move is expected to happen in 2017.
Despite the drama off the field, the Argos have been taking care of business on it. Most recent success includes winning the Grey Cup in 2012 and finishing the 2013 regular season on top of the East.
The Argos 2014 season will kick off on June 26 and another race to the Grey Cup will begin. A dose of the winning mentality is what the Lions search for in preparation for next season.
The upcoming Argos training camp will provide York players an opportunity to study the pros in person. York’s coaching staff is excited for this learning opportunity. They hope to walk away from the experience having improved as a unit.
Improvement is a big theme for the Lions, who have been on a rocky road. The Lions have not recorded more than two wins in a regular season in the past eight years.
In addition, York will be losing key veteran players next year. The biggest hit to the Lions’ roster will be the loss of starting quarterback Myles Gibbon.
These are all signs that recruiting was a big theme for York this off-season.
“We have the most quality commitments we’ve ever had this early,” Coach Warren Craney said in a recruiting update interview with Lions Athletics.
Addition of new talent will be essential in breaking above the dreaded two win mark this season.
This Argos training camp could be an effective restart button for the Lions.
[su_quote]Having the Argos utilize York’s facilities should increase confidence for the Lions. [/su_quote]
Knowing the team’s training facility is good enough for the pros is a self-worth boost.  The affiliation with Toronto’s professional team gives the Lions bragging rights few schools have.
 
Amjed Al Salman
Sports & Health Editor
 
Image source: Toronto Argonauts