After a disappointing first season, Carleton’s football team is keen to improve, according to Ravens strength and conditioning coach Darrell Adams.
This means thinking outside the box. Adams has the team doing yoga in addition to position drills, four weightlifting and two conditioning sessions each week.
“I can’t speak for other teams but I can guarantee you that they’re not doing as much as we are,” Adams said.
He attributed this to the Ravens “unparalleled” OUA coaching staff.
With 68 players to train, he said the team’s off-season schedule is intense and “totally encompassing.”
Although the image of the entire offensive line doing downward dog may seem comical, Adams said football players have been adding it to traditional training for years.
“It’s a great tool for team building and just understanding how the body works,” he said.
By increasing flexibility players are also less likely to suffer injuries. Young athletes in particular can benefit from yoga, he said.
Overwhelmingly, the Carleton football team consists of players who are new to university and living away from home for the first time.
“Being a student athlete is one of the hardest things these guys will ever do,” Adams said. “For them to be able to go into a yoga class and block out everything . . . and take their mind to a different place will make a difference in their future.”
Most Ravens were unfamiliar with yoga but soon warmed up to the idea. Even the fittest player can benefit from the psychological aspect of yoga, according to Adams. He said players will learn to take ownership of their bodies and push through fatigue as a result of the classes.
“The yoga instructor will help take your mind somewhere else and help you take control of your body,” he said. “It’s not just bending and twisting your body and holding poses right through to the burn.”
Lake Johnston, a first-year offensive lineman, said yoga was tough in the beginning but his flexibility has since improved. Now, he said he considers it to be one of the most effective parts of his training.
As he prepares for another season, Johnston said he is optimistic about the team’s prospects.
“Next year everybody wants to do better and prove that we’ll be a team to compete against in future years,” he said.
