Five games past the halfway point of their first season in the National Basketball League of Canada, the St. John’s Edge are in good shape in the standings.
Evan Constantine is working to keep them that way on the court.
The former Memorial Sea-Hawks basketball star is with The Energy Company, a health and fitness organization in St. John’s, and he and Energy Company founder Mike O’Neil have been working with the Edge on strength and conditioning.
“Right now, it’s the top sports team in town. These are the best athletes in the province right now, and to have that opportunity to work with a pro team, that’s pretty much the peak of my career,” said Constantine.
“I’ve worked with a lot of high-level athletes before, but to get to … where they’re actually pros and this is their job, it’s outstanding to get to walk into a weight room with them on a regular basis — guys that want to put in that work and want to get better every time.
“It’s hard to find that in people.”
Constantine’s basketball pedigree is considerable. The Dunville native spent five years playing for Memorial, was the team’s captain for two of those, and later served as an assistant coach for the men’s squad.
So, he knows basketball and basketball players, but Constantine has been particularly impressed by the skill and fitness level of those on the Edge.
“These guys are pros,” he said. “This is part of their job. If they’re not in shape, there’s another person to replace them. Within days, they can have new guys flown in here to replace a guy. “That’s part of the business, and as a professional, if you’re not taking care of your body, you’re not going to last long.”
He considers Carl English, the team’s homegrown star, to be a perfect example of what is required. The Patrick’s Cove native turned 37 earlier this month, but entered Thursday night’s road game against the London Lightning as the league’s second-leading scorer,
“Look at how well he’s been playing and how long he’s been able to play,” said Constantine. “It’s because he takes great care of his body. Through nutrition, through working out, through recovery — it’s phenomenal.
“All these guys get that, and without it, (they) are going to be shut down pretty fast.”
The Edge, who carried a 16-9 record into Thursday, have 14 games remaining in their regular-season schedule after the matchup with the Lightning, and Constantine knows that stretch run will be a test.
“It’s only a 40-game season, but it’s a gruelling 40 games,” he said, noting the Edge’s playing schedule has seen the team playing four, even five games, in six days.
That brings additional stresses to an already physically stressful occupation.
“The body is not meant to jump as high as what these guys are doing,” Constantine said. “If we were supposed to jump this high, we’d probably all have wings. But these guys with the jumps and landing, it’s a lot of stress on a 6’6”, 6’7” or even bigger body.”
The regular season ends in less than seven weeks, but there is also the possibility of a long playoff run to be considered.
“For me right now, the only goal is to keep these guys healthy,” Constantine said. “These guys aren’t really going to get in much better shape over the next two to three months.
“Rest is going to be a big thing, but right now, it’s keeping everyone rolling and keeping everyone healthy.”
The Compass
