ORONO, Maine — Most of the 87 players on the University of Maine football team were more familiar with yogurt than yoga before the start of the current school semester.
That’s all changed due to the introduction of a weekly, hourlong yoga instruction session which all players have been required to attend since the current semester began in January.
“It came as a shock to us. I don’t know of too many, if any, football schools that do yoga,” said junior linebacker Ryan McCrossan. “We had no concept of what it was.”
Yoga is a system of exercises practiced to promote control of the body and mind. It originates from the Hindu discipline that trains the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility.
It was a bit surreal to see 28 football players — some sporting muscle shirts, tattoos, buzz-cuts or all of the above — stretching to songs by Willie Nelson and Paul Simon instead of Nickelback or AC/DC.
“We came back from Christmas break and saw we had yoga on the schedule. Everyone looked around and was like ‘What is this?’” said sophomore Mike Kuhn. “It was like another thing added onto the week and it’s a tough week to begin with, but it actually helps a lot. A lot of guys actually enjoy it now.”
Kuhn is one of those guys.
“For me personally, I know it’s made me a lot more flexible, and a lot of other guys, too,” said the 5-foot-10, 194-pound safety. “I think it’s helped us a lot. I would definitely do it again next year. I hope we do.”
That’s music to the ears of certified instructor Leslie Forstadt who, along with Kelly Isleman, conducts the weekly sessions at the UMaine Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
“I think it’s been fantastic. I’d love to see it continued through the season,” said Forstadt, a professor with UM’s cooperative extension and Syracuse, N.Y., native now living in Bangor. “To make it part of their athletic program says a lot about the investment they’re making on the part of their student-athletes.”
Flexible coaching philosophy
Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove credited UMaine strength and conditioning coach Dan Nichol for incorporating yoga into the program on a much more intensive basis.
“He’s been in and around some programs that have used this before, and he pulled it together with the help of the staff here and it’s worked out, I think. We’ll find out,” said Cosgrove. “This isn’t the first year we’ve done it, but this is the first time we’ve had the relationship with the campus rec center and students and instructors with a more professional and full-time approach.”
The main goal is to improve players’ flexibility, strength and mental focus.
“That’s the great thing about yoga is that anybody can benefit. It’s all about injury prevention, improving your flexibility, and improving your focus,” said Forstadt. “I think individually, you can do different exercises that target specific areas of the body that may be problem areas.
“Also, I think it’s another way for teammates to bond in a much different way from practicing and playing together.”
The 28 players assembled for the first of Friday’s back-to-back sessions — the last of the semester — joked and teased one another throughout, but it wasn’t all fun and games.
The concentration and effort was as obvious from some players as the sweat and serious expressions on their faces.
“It’s a great benefit to me,” said freshman running back Deshaun Thomas. “A lot has changed with my balance. I’ve learned how to breathe better and focus mentally on things better than I did before.”
Thomas, a 5-9, 245-pound fullback, says yoga has especially helped him with his balance.
“I’ve been told I need to work on my balance and this is helping me adapt to my body and balance my weight better on both legs,” he explained. “I think this is helping me a lot.”
That’s just one example of the kind of feedback coaches like UMaine defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is getting from players.
“Dan felt strongly that it was something which would help our players,” said Rossi, who is also linebackers coach. “You’re always looking to get an edge or advantage, and we’ve heard good things about this, so we thought we’d give it a shot.
“We’ve had good results, so it’s something we’ll continue to do.”
That’s good news for players like Kuhn, McCrossan and junior offensive lineman Matt Barber.
“We did it a couple years ago and didn’t last year,” said the 6-6, 303-pound Barber. “I’m a big guy, so I was kind of skeptical about this, but it’s growing on me. I really like it now and I’m looking to continue it on my own.”
Bear down, calm down, tune up
One of UMaine’s long-used catch phrases and mottos is “Bear down.”
Cosgrove says yoga may be uniquely well suited in helping the Black Bears follow that motto figuratively and literally on the field, in the classroom and off campus.
“It’s more than just a form of stretching,” he explained. “It’s one of those things that’s part of the process of building young people in terms of their bodies and minds and their discipline.
“We wanted to focus on it as an opportunity for them at the end of the week to experience a more calming activity that’s beneficial to their overall development.”
McCrossan says he already sees the secondary benefits provided from his yoga training.
“The first day before we even started, someone spoke to us about the discipline of yoga with the breathing and taking one thing at a time,” he said. “Mentally, it really helps with football, but I also feel it’s a good way to let go of what’s going on, whether it’s football or school.”
Forstadt said that especially if taken seriously, yoga can benefit players in many different ways.
“Particularly the mental benefit is something they get out of it, if nothing else,” she said. “But you’ll find that even if you walk in not feeling great, you’ll walk out feeling great, or at least better.”
Barber can relate to that.
“I was a little sore and tired coming in today, but I feel good now. Definitely a little looser,” he said. “You do get kind of like a warmth or something, like a runner’s high, at the end. I guess you could call it a yoga high.”