The mindful athlete

Vaughn Gray recalled what changed for him. Over the past couple of basketball seasons, the former George Mason University forward found he was able to “see the game slower .?.?. react to things more efficiently” during contests.

“I felt like I was maximizing my motions, and my playmaking abilities were more heightened through the breathing techniques,” Gray told me recently.....

.....At the end of the five weeks, the team reported “less perceived stress.” Compared with the control group, the basketball players reported greater mindfulness, which was to be expected. But they also experienced “greater goal-directed energy” — an ability to purposefully pursue values, both on and off the court, that were in line with what kind of players and people the athletes wanted to be, rather than just reacting to external, often negative, pressures.

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Bethany`s Notes
Notes: Once again we see another team taking the mental health approach seriously. Perhaps more coaches should take some ideas from groups like this one who were willing to try something new and found a lot of benefit from doing yoga and mindfulness. To all coaches, don`t be afraid to step out of the normal training routine to calm the mind...you may see a greater benefit than you would imagine.