2001 Eastern Division Champs Set to Kick off 2002
March 22, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Toronto Phantoms News Release
Toronto Phantoms open camp Monday ⢠Canadian QB gets Wednesday Invitation
(Toronto, ON): The Toronto Phantoms Arena Football Club will open training camp on Monday, March 25th with a pair of practice sessions at the Coffee Time Soccer Centre. Thirty players will hit the field looking to secure a spot on the final roster of the AFL's defending Eastern Division champions.
Head Coach & General Manager Mark Stoute says he plans to spend the first week of camp looking closely at some of the rookies he signed during the off-season. "We've got some really talented players coming in," says Stoute, "but some of them have never played two-way football before." Stoute is alluding to the fact that 6 of the 8 starters in an Arena Football game must play both offence and defence. "[Those rookies] have to show me they can do it all," he continued, "and they have to do that in a very short period of time."
The Phantoms have just 8 days of practice before hitting the road to Grand Rapids for the club's preseason opener on Saturday, April 6th. The Phantoms training camp schedule is as follows:
DATE MORNING AFTERNOON
Monday, March 25th 9:00 - 11:00 2:15 - 4:30
Tuesday, March 26th 6:00 - 8:00
Wednesday, March 27th 9:00 - 11:00 2:15 - 4:30
Thursday, March 28th 6:00 - 8:00
Friday, March 29th 6:00 - 8:00
Monday, April 1st 9:00 - 11:00 2:15 - 4:30
Tuesday, April 2nd 6:00 - 8:00
Wednesday, April 3rd 9:00 - 11:00 2:15 - 4:30
Thursday, April 4th Depart for Grand Rapids
Among the first-year players trying to make an impression on Stoute will be the 2001 Hec Crighton Trophy winner Ben Chapdelaine. The leading passer in the history of CIS (Canadian Inter-University Sport) football has been invited to participate in the two workouts scheduled for Wednesday, March 27th. Chapdelaine earned the invitation with a strong showing during the recent tryout camp for free agents hosted by the Phantoms. Says Stoute, "We are very interested to get Chapdelaine back in here to see how he fares throwing to some top-flight pro receivers running at full speed. We're very hopeful that he'll do well technique-wise and timing-wise."
All Phantoms practice sessions are open to the public and the media. The Coffee Time Soccer Centre is located at 7601 Martingrove Road, just south of Highway 7. Interviews can easily be arranged with players and members of the coaching staff.
For more information, please contact Will Hill, Director of Public & Media Relations, at (416) 341-1552 or through e-mail at whill@torontophantoms.com
Tickets for all 8 Toronto Phantoms home games at Air Canada Centre are now on sale and can be purchased by calling (416) 341-1234 or by logging on to the team's official website, torontophantoms.com. Get "Insane for the Game" and be a part of "Thursday Night Gridiron Madness"!
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 22, 2002
- GEORGIA FORCE INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKETS GO ON SALE - Georgia Force
- Arena Football League Transactions - AFL I
- 2001 Eastern Division Champs Set to Kick off 2002 - Toronto Phantoms
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
