Yoga for Youth Athletes

Photo: Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins
http://news.menshealth.com/ 

Have you ever taught Yoga to high school athletes?

I saw this question last week on a Linked In message board:

I have a teaching opportunity in a few weeks to work with a high school's varsity baseball/ football teams. There will be 30 boys who have never done yoga. Unfortunately, I'll be teaching them on the football field without mats. Have you ever taught a group like this before? Do you have any advice?

~Erin H. 



I really enjoy working with youth athletes, as much as I enjoy working with children with physical and cognitive learning challenges. I find that many teens are very curious about yoga -especially relaxation & stress management-and will ask some really good questions once they feel comfortable with you. 

I have put together a packet of all the professional and Olympic athletes who use yoga as a part of their regular training (You can find more lists and articles online.) I use this to start a conversation about how yoga can be a great complimentary discipline, what they would like to learn and how they would like to improve in their sport as well as individually.  

First, I start with the body: basic skeletal and muscular anatomy. They have to understand how they are built, where their movements come from and how to project and conserve their energy in a balanced & effective manner. I use simple, anatomy & "sport-related" language and focus on both conditioning the large muscle groups they use in their sport as well as strengthening those underused muscles. (The "Anatomy Coloring Book" is an excellent resource for this, and a good place to start. I photocopy the pages and have them color them in their free time.Its an easy way to learn the basics of anatomy.Many times I am asked for "extra" copies so they can color them in again.) 

I remind them often that the skeletal system is for support and the muscular system is for movement. I encourage them to move deliberately and in a controlled manner, holding postures for several slow breaths and relaxing for several breaths before the next posture. This is not just in yoga, but in all they do: walking up steps, opening lockers, getting a drink from the fountain, brushing teeth, etc. I show them how to find counter-movements for stretching larger muscles as well as the "hidden" muscles closer to the skeleton.

I target balancing postures that will help them improve their focus as well as build core awareness & strength and incorporate popular music (that they like) to do some active "Power" sets, after they warm up-about midway through the class. 

As they start to understand and become more aware of how they move, we work on how they would like to move: emphasizing coordination of breath with the movement they are doing will help them become more fluid, purposeful and helps reduce/prevent injuries. They quickly learn that this new awareness also reduces stress and improves their concentration. 

Partner postures help with awareness of where other teammates and opponents are & the "teamwork" part of sports. 

When planning a class, I select & relate each of the postures & sets to the sport and teach them the anatomy of the specific movements and how postures and breathing will help them with range of motion, speed and agility. 

Just as in a non-athlete yoga class, we finish up with relaxation. I take them through a semi-guided imagery of tuning in to their bodies, and then through their next game, and have them "play the tape" slowly in their mind's eye, so it reflects the outcome they would like to see. 

In addition,  they learn a technique to release that outcome so they don't become overly attached to it. (I use an imagery of "Cutting Ribbons" to help them detach from a specific outcome and just focus on playing their best and being the best sportsman/woman they can.) 

This age group likes to be approached as adults-so I give them something to think about too-a character building activity-random act of kindness, etc. each week in addition to a conditioning and restorative set.

Don't be afraid to have fun with them! A sport or yoga-themed movement game (Yoga Twister) once and a while will break it up a bit and keep it interesting. 

As far as the mats, it may be more of a challenge conducting a class outside on the grass, but as long as its not wet/muddy/cold it should be okay. Maybe the coach is unclear on your objectives, so be sure to put everything on paper to avoid misunderstandings. You could also suggest the team members supply their own mat if it becomes a problem. (The mats do get a little ragged from outdoor use though. Be sure to let them know that!)

Is there an alternate place to do the class in the event of bad weather? (Gymnasium or Library?) Alternating locations is also a good way to train the body (and mind) to be adaptable to a variety of situations and environments, further supporting "flexibility".

Good Luck! 

~Barbara




Further Reading:


Why Every Athlete Should Do Yoga

Yoga for Hockey Players

Modern Athletes Realizing Yoga's Benefits

Dance-Cheer-Yoga! 

Kareem Abdul Jabbar Fit After 50: Staying Flexible with Yoga



Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com 

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In Case You Missed It: September 24-28

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have some wonderful plans for the weekend. Lots of festivals and local events are happening this time of year-great fun for families!

I will be presenting our "Calm & Connected" live workshop for Pediatric Therapy Services in Conshohocken, PA this weekend.  Our 4 hour workshops are highly interactive, informative & fun!

To schedule one of our professional development programs for your organization or group, please contact barbara@bodylogique.com. (Remember, we now have a special "S.M.Art for a Cause"  fundraising program for schools and other non-profit groups.)

Have a gret weekend! Here are your weekly article links-please feel free to pass them on.

Enjoy!

~Barbara



Babies: Born Scientists

Mapping Media to the Curriculum

Exercise: Tools for Kids

Mindful Mantis (Kids Pose)

Can Exercise Improve Grades?

Calm & Connected

How Reading to Kids Pays Off

Education Enrichment: Helping Kids Learn

Caught in the Middle: Children & Divorce

Physical/Emotional Neglect Harms Children's Brains

Children Consume too Much Sodium

Children & Heart Disease



Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

Gratitude & Attitude for This Body

I woke up this morning and noticed my ankles were sore. I asked myself :  "What the heck did I do yesterday?".  As I started moving around  I felt the sunburn on my arms and shoulders & I remembered yesterday's long day on my feet, out in the sun at my daughter's class trip to a Civil War Reenactment. I started to hear that self-pitying whiny complaining voice in my head that we all tune into into from time to time, so after a minute I stopped and realized that its not my body's fault. I should have used more sunscreen and I need to get a better quality sneaker to stand/walk in all day.

'Harriet Tubman' & Lauren

There were several children with walkers and in wheelchairs there yesterday, all having fun.  I however was physically able to stand on my feet all day-and in addition, I had a great time with the kids, especially my daughter. (We met "Harriet Tubman" and learned how to weave lace, march in formation and of course, shoot a cannon. ) I am grateful for the whole experience! Even the sore ankles & sunburn.

So today, as your day begins, and every day from now on, I want you to take a moment each morning -when you feel those aches & pains and recognize that complaining attitude in your head- and thank your body, no matter how it feels or what condition its in. If you have health challenges, then thank the parts of your body that are healthy.  If it sounds silly, or is a difficult thing for you to do, bear with me & do it anyway. Here is why:

We tend to focus so much on what our bodies cannot do-on our pains & limitations. We constantly remind ourselves that we are 'getting old', we ache, are out of breath & can't remember things. But think for a moment of what an amazing engineering masterpiece our body really is at any age: for starters, more than 200 bones that are stronger than concrete, that hold us upright, 600 muscles that can move in any direction and speed we want and a pump that circulates life supporting blood 1,000 times a day through more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels. We have a brain that controls it all and has the capacity to process 400 billion impulses through 45 miles of nerves in one single second!

Science tells us that our bodies also have the amazing power to regenerate all cells & tissues including cardiac & nerve fibers. With every single breath, and at every moment, renewal is going on somewhere in the body or brain.

Every single hour, one billion cells die and new ones are made to replace them. We get a new stomach and brand new skin every month. Our 206 skeleton bones renew every three months. Our liver will be brand new in about 6 weeks. In fact, in just one year's time, about 98% of all our body cells die and are replaced. Every single thing we eat, think and do, at every moment, (especially what we think) contributes in some way to our physical and emotional health so that we literally are not the same person we were a year or even a week ago.

Reflecting on just these few feats makes it clear that our bodies deserve a little-no- rather much gratitude. We were designed to experience health, movement & vitality. Health is our natural state of being, regardless of our situation or abilities, everyone can obtain health to the degree they desire, starting with gratitude then working on attitude. We have the ability & unlimited opportunity to direct our growth & our health at every moment.

For children who are developing in every way by leaps and bounds, as well as those who have delayed development due to medical or other conditions, we as parents & educators can be encouraged to know that their bodies are renewing at even a faster rate. The more we nurture their growth with healthy ideas & thoughts, nourishing natural foods, pure hydrating water, varied movement and unconditional love, the better the environment for their bodies & brains to grow more healthy.

We need to start having gratitude and appreciation for our own bodies first so that our children can learn from us. We are the example they will follow and teaching them health habits that begin with the way we think & perceive our own bodies-as naturally renewable instead of limited by physical or cognitive conditions- is where we start.

Our thoughts and comments about our health-or lack of it-become their thoughts, and that becomes their belief and ultimately their wellness programming. This programming will become their habit. Their habits will determine how far they move forward or are left behind in becoming their optimal healthiest selves. Every adult & child deserves to reach their highest, healthiest potential, and it starts with our own attitude.

For the last 10 years, I have enjoyed teaching health in the form of adaptive yoga, to children with challenges & their siblings, families & peers. By using stories, movement & art we engage & calm & ensure that all kids - of all abilities - move all those muscles; strengthen all those bones & use all possible nerve connections to learn & reach their highest, healthiest potential.

When designing this program I wanted it to be fun, something that could fit seamlessly into any schedule or environment and something that everyone could enjoy. The purpose of  "adaptive" yoga, or dance or sports is exactly that: to adapt it enough to include every one who wants to participate, so they can enjoy the many physical and mental benefits of that activity.

 Special Olympians from Perkiomen Valley

If you have ever watched a Special Olympics or a Miracle League game or adaptive dance recital you will see that the children participating are not focused on the limits they have. They just are happy to be doing what they are doing! Having fun, playing, moving-pure gratitude in the form of happiness! That is how each one of us needs to be, especially those of us who are healthy and able-bodied.

I encourage you to explore your own attitudes about your body and your health and notice what messages you are sending your students & children, especially children with adaptive needs. Be aware of your attitudes, have gratitude for your own abilities as well as those of your students & children & guide them to enjoy exploring as many forms of healthy adaptive movement as they want and as they can as the summer begins!


More Information:

BodyLogique Adaptive Movement for Kids:

Hope Dances Adaptive Dance:

Special Olympics NJ:

The Miracle League

Philadelphia Center for Adaptive Sports

 Dorothy Hamill Adaptive Skating

Surfer's Healing-A foundation for Autism
 
 
 
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Dance-Cheer-Yoga!

Over the past several years, cheer leading has become one of the fastest growing women's sports. It is estimated that in America, about 3 million girls ages 6-17 participate in cheer leading. About 15% of these girls are involved in competitions. There is strength, flexibility, conditioning, endurance, and stamina involved in cheer leading and cheer dancing, as well as focus and teamwork.

There's little doubt that activities such as dance, gymnastics & cheer leading carries an inherent risk. All sports do; even sports like ping pong or golf carry the potential risk of injury. What makes cheer leading particularly noted is the type of injuries cheerleaders suffer, most commonly muscle sprains and strains. Dancers & gymnasts experience these types of injuries as well.


This, coupled with the more serious & widely publicized injuries such as broken bones, vertebrae and paralysis (mostly on college squads) has caused many organizations to tighten regulations around the types of stunts cheer leading squads can perform and the safety precautions dance studios & cheer squads should take.

'Safety First'! is the latest of a number of safety initiatives that Cheer leading's governing bodies have implemented in past years. The results show, among other things, that cheer's total injuries were cut in half from 2005 to 2006, and continued to drop through the 2007-2008 academic year. Cheer leading's injuries per 100,000 participants is only 2.0, significantly less than the figures for other popular women's sports such as gymnastics.

CHEER LEADING SAFETY:
(Courtesy of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association)

Below are some tips compiled by the NATA that help reduce cheerleader injuries at all levels. While these tips are targeted directly at cheer leading, they also will apply to dancers and gymnasts:

1. Proper Conditioning: Physically prepare and maintain your body’s strength, flexibility, and stamina for stunting and tumbling. Strengthen your core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles) along with the upper and lower body and include aerobic (running, jogging, cycling, swimming) and anaerobic (wind sprints, circuit training) activities.

2. Exercise Reminders: Warm up, stretch and cool down for every practice or competition and be sure to rest. (Yoga, TaiChi & guided Imagery Techniques are great for flexibility and calming nerves.)

3. Proper Equipment: Practice on mats or padded flooring until your routines are perfected. Make sure the mats are adequately sized and sufficient for the activities you’re performing. Always wear proper footwear.

4. Spotting: Have trained spotters present and engaged at all times.

5. Knowledgeable Coaches: Make sure your coaches are certified in safety, first aid, CPR and AED use.

6. No Horseplay: Focus at all times during stunting and tumbling activities.

7. Communication: Request that your coaches review safety precautions, rules and regulations with the squad on a regular basis, and that they establish and implement an emergency action plan.

8. Read Safety Guidelines: Ask your coaches to be familiar with the latest AACCA safety guidelines; the safety advice in the National Federation of State High School Associations’ “Spirit Rules Book”; and the rules and regulations pertaining to your particular school.

9. Know Your Limits: Be aware of your ability level and do not attempt advanced level gymnastic or stunting skills before mastering less advanced skills. Always have a supervisor present.

10. Treatment & Prevention of Injuries: Promptly attend to any injuries you sustain. Your school or organization’s athletic trainer can assist in the proper treatment and prevention of such injuries. He or she can also offer an injury prevention education seminar and assist in creating the conditioning routine.

Yoga provides a perfect low-impact exercise & relaxation science that works with the athlete's whole body rather than individual parts. It provides a foundation for strong technique, as well as balance for strenuous practices & performances.

BodyLogique® has designed a Sport Yoga based conditioning curriculum just for cheerleaders, gymnasts and dancers, that focuses on balance & flexibility for injury prevention, core strength, stamina, teamwork & stress management.

Due to the volume of requests we have received, we are in the process of putting this curriculum into book form with an anticipated release date of August, 2012!

To receive a sneak preview by e-mail, please send your request to:
barbara@bodylogique.com .

In your request, please tell us if you are a coach/instructor or parent, and if you are interested in dance, cheer, yoga or other sport training for young female athletes. (This information is so that we can be sure to include specific information in the final draft of the book.)

Watch a preview video here: Dance Cheer Yoga!

Watch our "What's New"  page for release announcements and other news, or subscribe to us by using the slide-out menu viewable on the right side of our "welcome" page. Click on the bottom box, type in your e-mail address and submit.

* Customized cheer & gymnastics squad, girl's youth athletic league AND youth dance & ballet company Sport Yoga workshops are available year round at your Bucks/Mont County PA location! 

Please contact Barbara for scheduling and other information!

E-Mail: barbara@bodylogique.com

Call: 215-257-3193

Visit:   http://www.bodylogique.com/Teens.html

Information on Local NJ & Pennsylvania Dance/Cheer Squads can be found on: http://www.popwarner.com/admin/pennsylvania.asp



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