By Zack Cimini

Time and time again we are seeing quicker recovery in athletics from injuries. It’s even a drastic difference from 3-5 years ago. You hear athletes seeking out the best of the best, and doling out the extra cash to seek the advice and training of experts. In fact, most super star athletes trainers could be virtual daily assistants. They have specific itineraries on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to help their athletes achieve their goals. Attaining goals is what athletes do day in and day out. What the athlete can’t predict is the injury that will adjust their lifestyle and training regimen. This is where the gap ten to fifteen years ago has shortened dramatically for an athlete.

Athletes are getting hurt more frequently due to several factors. Mostly due to the intense training and rigorous day in and day out grind of a professional sport. This combined intensity just doesn’t gel for a body to handle and endure for a whole season. If an athlete is lucky to avoid an injury, it’s just misleading and not reported. Just scour the locker rooms to see the nagging injuries athletes have to battle throughout the year. Forget the injury report, just about every athlete has some sort of physical ailment that hampers them for the rest of the season.

Obviously athletes are getting more cautious and aware of what they need to do to protect their bodies. Even professional teams have beefed up their training staffs and been more reasonable with lessening the workload in between games and practices. This has to be done or you see the difference come December and January constantly. The age of an athlete’s career has even dwindled down. Older veterans just can’t get away with the tricks of the game they’ve learned throughout the years to vent off age. The Zach Thomas’s and Ray Lewis’s of the world are just a rarity these days. More of what we are seeing are the Shaun Alexander, Eddie George, Jamal Anderson, etc. types. Guys that have dominant years and fade quickly.

It is truly a young man’s game, and is getting younger. The Colts have a running back in Joseph Addai that will be entering just his fourth season, but the Colts obviously feel he can’t handle a full workload. They drafted Donald Brown in the first round and now the committee system is in place. Addai has had issues with his health but now slides at least five to seven spots after being an elite fantasy running back.

Just look at how many veterans are still unsigned. These are athletes like Marvin Harrison that have played at a high level just a year ago. Part of it is the demand for money, but the majority of it has to due with the talent pool. There are enough skilled athletes these days that can fill the role of just about anybody. With the added one on one training the youngster can grow at a higher rate than a declining veteran.

Some of the stories of athletes playing through injuries are just amazing. Remember, a few years ago when Plaxico Burress would miss every practice but play at an incredible level on Sundays. How about the players that tweak an ankle or hamstring that are back in within a quarter without missing a beat? This is harder to notice in football but is becoming stupefying in basketball how quickly a player is back on the floor. Minutes earlier they were cringing on the floor as if they tore an ACL or broke an ankle.

Fantasy owners just like the athletes need to take some time and give credit to those excellent individual and team trainers. The after thought of all your championship aspirations and a true behind the scenes key for athletics. More frequently athletes are able to wait until the off-season before undergoing surgery, which keeps your roster from complete disaster with injuries. Even with surgeries athletes are also defying the odds in that department. They’re defeating time tables for a return weeks and sometimes months ahead of schedule. Remember Terrell Owens returning to play in the Super Bowl, Tom Brady’s remarkable comeback is months ahead of schedule, and even Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic.

Sure, your team is usually littered with players that have the letters of D, Q, or P, but most of the time they do play. It’s just the effectiveness ability that comes into question. That’s why you draft numerous players for depth. Just don’t forget about the people that makes your players get ready every week.