TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - The St. John's Lacrosse team is having a very good season on the field this year.
But it's their preparation off the field that may be the reason for their success.
Lacrosse is a brutal, grueling sport with constant movement. Players take a consistent beating.
So it helps the Titans, before they even take the field, to get their mind right with yoga.
"I was kind of skeptical," says Junior Jeff Szozda. "I never really heard anything about it. But once I started getting it to it, I was like 'this is nice.'"
The Titans began working as a team with yoga instructor Malena Caruso. The workouts are major help with the mental aspect of sports.
"The most important thing that I try to tell them is you can have fun," said instructor Malena Caruso. "This is a place where you can have fun and try something new."
But there's a serious side too.
"The mental aspect, like getting yourself calm when you're in an uncomfortable position completely translates down to the field. In a close game, you know if you just breathe you can calm your mind," said Szozda.
Coaches and players truly believe the benefits of the yoga are helping on the field.
"For them to be able to learn how to calm their minds, learn how to stay positive and refocus everything, it's big," said head coach Adam Salon. "I truly believe we're seeing the benefits on the field."
Szozda said yoga has given the players a sense of perspective.
"It shows that even though we're big, strong athletes, it shows the weaknesses and the little things we can improve in," said Szozda.
It's something other teams may want to try.
