ORLANDO – It’s only fitting that the Orlando Magic prepare for games and train their players in the AdventHealth Practice Facility considering the two entities’ shared vision of promoting whole-person health and utilizing cutting-edge sports medicine research.
The Magic unveiled the AdventHealth Practice Facility at the Amway Center on Tuesday as part of an expanded partnership featuring a larger focus on whole-person health and innovation in the sports medicine realm. The partnership will include a collaborative and specialized body of research, providing a unique opportunity to bring together medicine, research and AdventHealth’s philosophy of whole-person health – body, mind and spirit – by incorporating elements such as nutrition, sleep and injury prevention/recovery.
``It’s really exciting on a couple of different levels,’’ Magic CEO Alex Martins said. ``Number one, it certainly helps to advance the medicine and performance that we are able to provide to our players. Their research and the doctor corps that they have working at AdventHealth can really help us and really improve our players’ approach to not getting injured and also improve nutrition, and their ability to sleep in the right manner and for the right amount of time. So, it’s really going to help us advance keeping our players healthy, keeping them on the court and extending their careers.’’
AdventHealth, formerly known as Florida Hospital, has been partners with the Magic for more than 25 years. Because their partnership is a collaborative venture, AdventHealth will be able to use research gathered by the Magic on the health of their players in the medical firm’s treatment of sports injuries for younger athletes. The goal for both the Magic and AdventHealth is to help high-level NBA athletes, youth sports players and weekend-warrior types become healthier and more well-rounded and efficient performers.
``When you think about whole-person health, it’s not just the physical; true thriving is when you have the emotional, spiritual and physical all coming together,’’ said Daryl Tol, president and CEO of AdventHealth’s Central Florida division. ``That (convergence) is part of the maturity and growth of an athlete, it’s part of extending a career and it’s also how every human lives.’’
Magic forward Jonathan Isaac said the partnership with AdventHealth has already paid big dividends for him in this his second NBA season. After an injury-marred rookie season in which he played just 27 games, Isaac has already played in 44 thus far this season while starting 33 of them. He is averaging career highs in points (8.1) and rebounds (5.0) while blocking 1.1 shots a game for a second straight season.
``It has helped me as an athlete. I’ve already spent some time, not just (at the Magic headquarters) but at the hospital, and them coming and being a partner with the Magic has been fantastic,’’ Isaac said. ``They’ve implemented a lot of the things that we do over here with our team. It’s been great and I’ve grown so much as a person and as an athlete, body-wise and mind-wise. So, I’m definitely excited about this partnership.’’
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