Gym opens doors to Riders waiting to get back on the field

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are playing the waiting game instead of football, as the CFL strike has left them in a holding pattern waiting for training camp to open.

Without a deal, players are waiting around Saskatoon — and some are in a tough spot trying to make sure they are physically ready when they get the call. They’ve been waiting for days for the league and players’ association to work through negotiations and close a deal that works for both sides.

But how are the players staying in shape?

Luckily, they’ve been able to rent out SMF Field in Saskatoon, and now have access to workout facilities at Ignite Athletics.

“They reached out first, or at least the guys that train here in the off-season reached out to us,” co-owner Josh Saulnier said Tuesday. “Then we started talking about how it would work and if there were set times during the day that works for them to come in and use the facility.”

Saulnier said Ignite didn’t have to rework its entire schedule just to fit 30 guys into the space.

“We kind of just make sure we still have room for our clientele, but adjusting it so that these guys can come in and get their training in at the same time,” Saulnier added.

It also helped that some of the players aren’t strangers to the facility or the staff who train there in the off-season.

“Even some of those guys started with us as high school players in Saskatoon, or University of Saskatchewan Huskie players. So we’ve had some guys come up working with us, and then a lot of those guys have the knowledge of how we do things,” he said.

Saulnier says it’s always good to have professionals in the building when younger athletes are training so they can see firsthand what they have to do in order to be successful and what got the CFL players to the next level. But it certainly is a unique situation for Saulnier and the Ignite staff.

“We’re only treating this as the space for them to do their thing. A lot of these guys have their own off-season programs that they kind of run through,” he said.

Saulnier said it can be a tricky balance for the players not to push themselves too much, but make sure they are prepared and ready for when training camp starts and the season begins.

Overall, the mood was fairly positive as players moved in and out of the facility. Saulnier said they are taking it one day at a time, but can’t wait to play and are committed to staying focused so they don’t get off to a slow start when the season begins.