July 24, 2009
ALL ACCESS VIDEO: Lobos Take Yoga Class
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
The mellow, soothing, mood music wasn’t exactly what you might expect a football team planning to be one of the bullies on the Mountain West block would be sitting around listening to.
The sounds weren’t exactly the soundtrack from Transformers, Wolverine or Star Trek. Well, maybe Mr. Spock might disappear into the depths of the Starship Enterprise and go into some Vulcan mental trance listening to such pretty and calming sounds.
But the group of Lobos gathered in the University of New Mexico’s Indoor Practice Facility weren’t grouped up to gear up for one of the more violent aspect of their smash-mouth sport. They were gathered to stretch and relax mentally. They were gathered to participate in a yoga class led by Kia Locksley, the wife of first-year Lobo coach Mike Locksley.
“It was a good thing you came today because if you would have come the first day, it wasn’t such a pretty sight,” said Jaymar Latchison, a sophomore defensive end. “The first day was ugly. It was a workout. It has started to come easier for us.”
You have to give these Lobos credit for their mental approach to a discipline not exactly considered to be one of the conditioning backbones in developing rough and tough football players.
But sports teams across the country are realizing the importance of disciplines such as yoga and pilates. These exercises improve flexibility and core strength. That can’t hurt. In fact, they often help cut down sports’ injuries.
“The guys are great,” said Kia Locksley. “It’s neat to see the progression from the beginning to where they could barely touch their toes. I think every one of them can touch their toes now.”
One of Locksley’s first chores was to get these Lobos serious about the benefits of yoga. Joshua Taufalele, a 310-pound offensive lineman, said the players caught on quickly because they quickly saw an increase in flexibility.
“Our bodies feel looser, more limber,” said Taufalele. “The first time we did it, it was hard. But now we are way more flexible.”
The Lobos really do take the class seriously – most of the time. On this day of yoga, Latchison went into a demanding yoga stance that required a delicate combination of balance and concentration. Latchison’s face showed the seriousness he might possess while targeting a BYU quarterback.
Of course, Taufalele saw an opportunity, too. He tickled Latchison under the armpits until the stance crumbled away. “She lets us have fun, too,” said Taufalele.
Said Kia: “I think the focus with most athletes is more about strength and speed and the focus is lost when it comes to flexibility. But the guys are seeing the benefits.
“They seek me out now. They’ll even come in on days they don’t have to and they’ll be coming in here after they have lifted or they will have run these grueling runs outside.”
The Lobos won’t argue about the yoga stretches helping them. “We want to be the best team in the conference so to do that, we are doing things that other teams in the conference aren’t doing,” said Latchison. “We are willing to put in the extra work because we are all working for the same goals.”
Of course, there is another motivational factor for the Lobos. Coach Locksley wants his players to be flexible in mind and core.
“It’s not mandatory,” said Latchison. “But neither is playing time.”
Jaymar Latchison concentrates on Yoga stance |
There also are parts of the class that just come naturally for these young, college athletes. Kia ends the class with a cool-down session that has the players lying down on the Brian Urlacher field and going into a relaxation stage that Taufalele calls “like sleeping.”
“I’m good at that. I’ve been practicing that for 21 years now,” he said.