Download Breathe and give it all you`ve got: How mindful athletes raise their

Breathe and give it all you've got:
How mindful athletes raise their
game
By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 06.16.15
Word Count 660
In this Oct. 1, 2014, file photo, students meditate during Mindful Studies class at Wilson High School in
Portland, Oregon. Photo: AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, File
Basketball player Vaughn Gray says his game has improved. He has noticed
some big changes over the past two seasons. Gray is now able to "see the
game slower" and can "react to things" better during play.
Gray was a forward for the George Mason University (GMU) Patriots in Virginia
until he finished with school. He says his playing was helped by breathing
exercises he learned.
Gray learned the exercises during several classes he and his teammates took in
2013. The classes were part of a GMU study. The goal of the study was to see if
teaching athletes mindfulness would help them.
Learning To Be Mindful
Mindfulness is a state of mind or way of thinking. A mindful person is able to
give complete attention to what they are doing at the moment. At the same time,
they do not try to block out their worries and fears. Instead, they recognize and
accept them.
It has long been known that an athlete's thoughts can affect their game. For
example, if an athlete is too worried about losing or feeling angry, they may end
up playing badly. Sports psychology is the usual way of dealing with that
problem. Psychology is the study of how thoughts and feelings affect behavior.
The GMU study suggests that teaching athletes mindfulness can do a lot of
good. Indeed, the approach may work better than sports psychology.
Getting Loose With Yoga
Mindfulness programs have been around for a while. However, the GMU study
added something new: yoga.
Athletes are used to physical exercise, said scientist Fallon Goodman, who led
the study. She felt that adding yoga to the study would help keep the athletes
interested. A mindfulness class is just talking for 90 minutes, she said.
The Patriots were first given a long list of questions to answer. Then they all took
eight 90-minute mindfulness classes and eight yoga classes. The yoga classes
introduced them to breathing exercises and to different ways of loosening up
their bodies.
The Patriots were given a second set of questions after the classes were done.
They were asked if they noticed any changes.
The team members reported feeling more relaxed and mindful.
Ignoring Peer Pressure
The new mindfulness was felt not just on the court, but in everyday life as well.
The players said they were able to concentrate more on their life goals, and to
ignore peer pressure.
Gray said he got something out of both the mindfulness classes and the yoga.
"It was good to add the yoga," he said.
Gray hopes to play basketball for a living. Meanwhile, he still does yoga "every
once in a while ... because I like the way it loosens my body up." He prefers to
do it in the morning: "It wakes you up," he said.
Following the classes, the Patriots joined a much tougher basketball league. As
a result, they faced a difficult couple of seasons. However, Gray said the team
did not get upset or angry because of the mindfulness classes. "Even though
things may have been rough at the time, when we were losing or whatever, we
tried to always stay as a family," he said.
Understanding Feelings, Behaving Better
Goodman said there is one big difference between mindfulness programs and
sports psychology. Sports psychologists tell athletes to push away unpleasant
thoughts and feelings, she said. With mindfulness classes, athletes learn to
better understand their bad thoughts and feelings. They accept them and learn
to behave better, in sports and in life.
Goodman is certain that the yoga classes helped get the idea of mindfulness
across. Mindfulness is "hard to explain to someone and to talk about," she said.
With yoga, "you're actually kind of living it, or acting it out with your body."
In the future, many more athletes may learn to become mindful. Goodman says
"a lot of other teams are interested."
"I guess that's a sign that something went well" with the study, she said.
Quiz
1
2
3
Which answer choice BEST describes George Mason University's mindfulness
program?
(A)
Athletes attended yoga class. Then they used the yoga techniques
while playing basketball.
(B)
Athletes attended yoga class and mindfulness class. They
answered questions before and after the classes.
(C)
Athletes attended yoga class and mindfulness class. After the
classes, they attended sports psychology sessions.
(D)
Athletes attended mindfulness class. They talked with an instructor
about breathing more calmly.
Choose the answer choice that BEST explains why GMU added yoga to their
mindfulness program for athletes?
(A)
Athletes need more flexibility.
(B)
Athletes are used to physical exercise.
(C)
Athletes deal with a lot of peer pressure.
(D)
Athletes can loosen up their body before morning practices.
Read the sentence from the article.
The GMU study suggests that teaching athletes mindfulness
can do a lot of good. Indeed, the approach may work better
than sports psychology.
Which word could replace the word "approach" in the sentence above WITHOUT
changing its meaning?
(A)
idea
(B)
study
(C)
plan
(D)
exercise
4
Read the sentences from the article.
At the same time, they do not try to block out their worries
and fears. Instead, they recognize and accept them.
Which of the answer choices would change the meaning of the sentence if it
replaced the word "recognize"?
(A)
admit
(B)
know
(C)
ignore
(D)
notice
Answer Key
1
2
3
Which answer choice BEST describes George Mason University's mindfulness
program?
(A)
Athletes attended yoga class. Then they used the yoga techniques
while playing basketball.
(B)
Athletes attended yoga class and mindfulness class. They
answered questions before and after the classes.
(C)
Athletes attended yoga class and mindfulness class. After the
classes, they attended sports psychology sessions.
(D)
Athletes attended mindfulness class. They talked with an instructor
about breathing more calmly.
Choose the answer choice that BEST explains why GMU added yoga to their
mindfulness program for athletes?
(A)
Athletes need more flexibility.
(B)
Athletes are used to physical exercise.
(C)
Athletes deal with a lot of peer pressure.
(D)
Athletes can loosen up their body before morning practices.
Read the sentence from the article.
The GMU study suggests that teaching athletes mindfulness
can do a lot of good. Indeed, the approach may work better
than sports psychology.
Which word could replace the word "approach" in the sentence above WITHOUT
changing its meaning?
(A)
idea
(B)
study
(C)
plan
(D)
exercise
4
Read the sentences from the article.
At the same time, they do not try to block out their worries
and fears. Instead, they recognize and accept them.
Which of the answer choices would change the meaning of the sentence if it
replaced the word "recognize"?
(A)
admit
(B)
know
(C)
ignore
(D)
notice