The Fighting Irishman still "the Go to Guy"

No matter what life brings to Ottawa native Justin Chombes, he always finds a way to spring back! Chombes will always be the go to guy.

 In Canada, football season for high schools starts a lot later than in the United States. It starts in September and finishes in November. The Fighting Irish of St. Patrick’s High School in Ottawa, Canada had an exciting season. Unfortunately in the 2013 season, they had lost in the semi-finals to the team that won the championship in the end. This season as a Fighting Irish, Chombes himself was held sidelined. He was not able to play this year due to injury. He broke one of his smaller bones in his wrist. It sidelined him for the entire season, but Chombes as a team player; he still attended every game and most of the practices. Most of his teammates would make him the go to guy because Chombes would be alongside with them through in and out rain or shine.

Chombes game has changed within the last four years as an athlete. Overtime he developed and became a smarter player by the help of the coaches from St. Patrick’s High School. All the coaches from St. Patrick’s High School have either played in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) or had stints in the Canadian Football League (CFL). By having those types of coaches for a player it is a greater advantage to prepare for the next level competition and become a much more developed smarter player on the field. It also allowed him to just focus on the play and not think about what to do next. 

 In Chombes opinion, “You are most likely to be less effective when you have to think about every single play. If you are prepared, you are able to process it in an instant moment which allows you to play effectively on the field.”

As a receiver Chombes has improved in his game from learning proper running techniques. In proper running techniques it has given him the ability to be a better route runner in and out of breaks. That also allowed him to become a smarter player and given him the ability to play faster in making more plays. It allows him overall to have a real grasp of the game. But he knows there is always more room for improvement upon him to excel in his game.

When Next Level Combines touch base with Chombes about his off season training, he

describes to us his amazing workout experiences during the summer. Chombes was taken under the wing of former player Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) Coach Donnelly, he has been taught the proper techniques in training with speed and lifting. Chombes tells us, when Coach Donnelly and him first teamed up, all these concepts from proper technique in training with speed and lifting were all new to him. He didn’t understand them greatly. But through time once the training regime had settled in with him, Chombes would begin to see major improvements. He became a lot stronger and faster. This training regime consisted of five day week training. Waking up every morning at 7am to head either to Mooney’s bay, which is a park with a man made beach near the Rideau River in Ottawa, Canada for speed training or the gym for lifting session.

During the summer his summer consists of a month of summer school and a full time job along with training. No days off mentality has given Chombes an advantage head start for his goals and dreams as a student athlete.

When we talk about speed training with Chombes, it either consists of acceleration, a change of direction or endurance in his regime. A change of direction training means, running in the sand of the beach. In endurance training, those days would mean, running up the steep hills located in Mooney’s bay. It is not an easy finish. People that run this endurance training sometimes would throw up and not able to finish running the up the hill. Lifting training consists of different routine of workouts that are intense.

 Chombes tells us “I experienced many days of arriving home and falling right to sleep along with waking up for school or work the next day feeling sore all over my body. These workouts were amazing because I had made the most gains that I had ever made but it's too bad since I got injured because I believe they would have helped me make plays for my team on the field.”

These types of workouts are efficient for Chombes because during the time he was injured,

he gained a lot of momentum and helped him on the field to be able to move faster and smarter. Without Coach Donnelly he wouldn’t have been able to achieve as far as he in his craft off football. Coach Donnelly to Chombes is a hidden gem and the best kept secret in being one of the top personal trainers.

Chombes had the privilege to attend a couple National Underclassmen Combine (NUC) camps during the summer. One was a 7v7 tournament, combine and a junior camp. There weren’t too many camps this off season for him. Chombes was invited to the NUC Texas vs. The world bowl game in Dallas, Texas taking place on President’s Day weekend next year. He would attend this camp if his head coach gives the green light and also on the factor of his wrist injury will be healthy by camp time.

As a student athlete, it takes a lot of time management to fit in trainings, academics and a job. Chombe has the gift of always being on top of handling business in the classroom. He never left any assignments out and handing them in on the deadlines. Education is a priority for Chombes because for him you do not play sports forever; you would need a backup plan for the time in hanging up his cleats. Justin Chombes is someone to lookout for. Once he is 100% healthy he will be ready to be out on that field doing business. Watch him in action. The go to guy for St. Patrick’s Fighting Irish he will conquer the field. 

_________________________________________________SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS:

I would like to give a special shout out to my family for supporting me, Next Level Combines and Lead Journalist Jasmine Ng for this interview! End Zone Football, all my St. Patrick’s teammates, little brother Ben, Coach Chris, Coach Moore, Coach John, Coach Mike, and Coach Wayne Jacobs. Future football star/Singer Julien Maurice Moore, AJ Larin, Justin Vaz, the Omara family, Zach Princi, Suroush Nojoumi, Ross Bitchoka, Abdullah Ather, Haroun Hamidi, Brandon McCabe, Jonathan ST Michael, Yancey Napoles, Rania Mubarak, Max dibs, Jonathan Sutherland, Luigi Vilain, Joseph Donnelly and everyone else I’m unable to mention