More than 100 football players have reported to camp. Two-a-day practices will be held throughout the two weeks leading into the start of the season.
The highlight of training camp is a pre-season game against the Bishopβs Gaiters on Saturday, Aug. 25. The Lions will leave for Lennoxville, Que., on Friday afternoon for the contest against the RSEQ squad. The two teams also faced off in August last year at York Stadium, with the Gaiters winning 33-15.
βIβm thrilled to be getting back on the field with this team,β said head coach Warren Craney. βWe have another strong recruiting class coming in and our vets have been working hard in the gym to get faster and stronger. This is my favourite time of year and I canβt wait to begin training for the upcoming year!β
The Lions will welcome two special guests to training camp to work with the student-athletes. Kamau Peterson, a former CFL receiver who was the receivers coach with Team Canada, will serve as a guest coach for the first week of camp. The sixth-overall draft pick in the CFL in 2001, Peterson spent nine seasons in the league, winning the 89th Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders as a rookie in 2001 and earning the most outstanding Canadian award in 2008.
Also working with the squad is certified mental performance consultant Sommer Christie, who will lead sessions off the field in wide range of topics, including focus, leadership and team building.
Craney and offensive coordinator Michael Faulds have had a busy off-season coaching abroad. They served as the defensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, respectively, for Team World at the International Bowl and Team Canada at the IFAF under-19 world junior championships, both in Austin, Texas, and also went to Oslo, Norway, for a football conference. They experienced tremendous success in Texas, winning the tournament championship each time.
The Lions will open the 2012 season on Labour Day with a road game against the Queenβs Gaels in Kingston, Ont. Their first home game of the year comes on Saturday, Sept. 8 versus the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Kick-off is set for 1pm at York Stadium for the annual Frosh Frenzy game.
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