Getting to know a Toronto Blue Jays 'Athletic Trainer'!

We are so fortunate at Honsberger Physio+ to have such a dedicated group of therapists committed to client care, injury prevention and helping you accomplish your goals!

One thing that not many of our clients are aware of is that Brent Andrews, BPE, ATC was the Athletic Trainer for The Toronto Blue Jays when they won the pennant in 1992 and 1993!

For those of you who are baseball superfans, up and coming baseball athletes, have a nagging elbow injury or shoulder injury than Brent is the one to see!

We sat down with Brent to ask him a few questions about the glory years, read along!

Robyn: Brent, what is your favourite memory from working with Blue Jays?

Brent: My favourite memories were definitely winning the World Series. First of all, just being there was incredible but the euphoria of winning Game 6 of the 1992 Series was indescribable, after years of falling just short. The 1993 championship, while not quite as euphoric, can be best described as extremely exciting and satisfying as we did something very few teams have done, repeat. 

Robyn: What was the feeling in the locker room going into the last game of 1992 World Series?

Brent: Since we were up in the series 3-2, there was palpable excitement in the clubhouse since we were on the verge of history, Toronto’s and Canada’s first World Series Championship. The nervous butterflies of game 1 were gone (I speak from personal experience as I had significant butterflies before game 1 even though I wasn’t playing, it’s totally different from the regular season and even the ALCS). By Game 6 the players and staff were more calm and focused on getting the job done.

Robyn: What advice do you have for upcoming athletes trying to take their career to  the next level?

Brent: Use every available tool and opportunity you have. Don’t just rely on your talent, lots of players have talent. It’s the intangibles that will make the difference, between you and the next guy who also has talent. Be a student of the game, understand your sport better than everyone else, yet be humble. Watch a lot of games, study what professional players are doing, get the best available coaching and practice perfectly. Obviously, you also need to condition properly for your sport (sport specific training and preventative exercises), eat a proper diet and get optimal sleep. Vision training is highly recommended and being sure your body is balanced biomechanically is essential.

Robyn: For baseball players, what is the most important thing you can do for your body?

Brent: My pet peeve, remember you're not football players. Baseball is a power sport, not a brute strength sport. Train for baseball. My advice is to stay away from heavy weight training, particularly for the upper body and especially for pitchers. You don’t want to be tied up with too much bulk through the chest or create imbalances that can lead to serious injury. There’s lots of bad information out there so get the advice of a professional who knows how to train baseball players. The goal of conditioning is fluid, total body power.

Robyn: What do love most about your job?

Brent: Working with athletes (all levels) and highly motivated clients and then seeing those people improve their performance and remain healthy.

Robyn: Who is your ideal client?

Brent: Clients who listen, pay attention and are focused on the outcome are the most ideal because what they do is more important than what I do. I’m the coach, they need to put the work in to make it happen!

Brent brought in some of his Tiffany & Co. memorabilia, take a peek below:

Brent works in both our Markham and Aurora locations and his main goal is to 'BUILD A BETTER ATHLETE!'

Orthopedic Rehabilitation
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