Baseball and … yoga?
Employing unconventional methods to improve their performance on the field, the baseball team has been working with sports psychologist Dr. Jeff Gero for the past month to learn meditation and yoga techniques.
“We have just started league games and have about two thirds of our season left to play. So far this year, our team has lived up to its potential,” said Zach Clarke, junior and center fielder. “We are 6-2 and are getting better every day. The yoga and mental exercises are going to keep our hectic days out of our play, and help us remain focused on performing well both individually and as a team.”
Gero’s goal is to help the team improve their performance by lowering stress. “Productivity (of the team) improves when they periodically relax, release stress, and become centered,” Gero said. “Then they are in control, rather than allowing stress to control them.”
Gero focuses on the importance of a clear mind in order to achieve a higher performance. “If you relax, you’re going to be more productive, more effective. That’s a hard thing to do (before a game), but that’s what is happening,” he said.
“What we are doing now is a lot more coaching, finding out what people need and where they need their extra support,” he added.
“His role on the team is to come talk about certain techniques to build confidence and help, he calls it ‘get in the zone’,” said Cameron Ruggiero, junior. “So, where you can be at your peak performance, you’re most comfortable.”
Gero’s techniques include breathing, stretching, meditation, and the use of a personal “power word.” The techniques all center on making players as focused and peaceful as they can be while playing. The team practices breathing at different paces and styles in order to help them enter their “zone”, as well as various yoga stretches to increase “serenity” before a game.
Players also use meditation by focusing on their “power word”. “He has you choose a thing called a power word. It is when you’re in your zone and you choose a word that describes when you’re most comfortable. It’s mainly breathing exercises, visualization, and saying your power word,” Ruggiero said. “It has helped me stay calm when I need to perform.”
David Hughes, senior, agrees. “I think it has helped me for some aspects, especially hitting and pitching,” Hughes said. “It has definitely calmed me down and gets me out of my head.”
The team thinks they have benefited from this new and unconventional experience. “For a few minutes a day, we relax and let go of all our stress in an effort to calm our nerves and visualize our success on the field. The results can be seen in our record,” said Clarke.
