Yogi Ballers Association

~ Engaged Athleticism for Soulful Yogis ~

It is March 2020.  Life as we know it came to an abrupt halt.Schools were shut down, corporations mandated employees to work from home, and businesses and restaurants closed their doors.  Universities and colleges sent their students home early to continue semesters and quarters in the virtual world.  Zoom, Masks, and Social Distance became normal lingo.  The impact was felt throughout everyone’s lives and continues to challenge our sense of security and community.

Professional, college and youth sports were put on hold indefinitely.  For those of us that have spent years training and competing in sports, we understand and feel this loss deeply.  A huge part of our identity is wrapped around the expression of physical movement, team camaraderie, and the psychological benefit of the athletic environment.  One can just imagine the total impact of these times on our Student-Athletes at Gavilan College. 

We had to do something, anything, and everything to connect our Student-Athletes, faculty, staff, and members of our community.  My Student-Athletes were struggling, trying to find avenues for support in the virtual world.  Gavilan College proudly stepped up and filled the basic needs of so many through Food Drives, Computer Lending, Housing Assistance, Individual and Group Counseling; however, we still missed the human movement with each other and many were afraid to seek new forms of support alone, but suffering in silence.

It is in this environment that Yogi Ballers Association (YBA) was set in motion. 

As an Athlete (and retired college Student-Athlete) I knew what brought me amazing Peace during these challenges.  I remember “trying” to do yoga as a college student but could never stay on the mat long enough; seeing it as a “waste of time” simply because I had to GO somewhere.  In my mind, I had so many other responsibilities to fulfill:  full load of classes, my sport, leadership, etc.   Lying on my mat did not seem to be the answer to my busy lifestyle nor my goals.  My mentality was such that if I was not jumping from commitment to commitment, I was not being productive.  The Athlete mentality was all about power and driving hard.  Go Hard all the time or Go Home.  I didn’t realize the opposite was true.  Taking time to slow down in mindfulness would allow me the ability to go hard when I needed.

I started yoga in 2018 as a side-gig to my sport of soccer and realized there is a true balance between the power of my sport and the meditative and mindful quality of yoga.  Yin-Yang is a real thing!   Being the nerd that I am, I began to immerse myself in the study of Yoga, reading all I could about its physical benefits as well as the power of the mindfulness aspect.   I also discovered that professional and college athletes are now incorporating Yoga into their training, as the complement to their sport is showing amazing benefits on the field/court and for their Mental Health.

 In the Fall of 2020 the positive side of the pandemic allowed me to register for a Yoga class at Gavilan that I had been trying to take for years with Dr. Nick Fortino.  Incorporating a regular routine of yoga has enriched my life in so many ways, and I am so grateful to Dr. Nick for sharing his passion for Yoga and all its teachings with our community.  Also an Athlete, Dr. Nick understands the importance of sport, physical movement, and connection.  Together, we created Yogi Ballers Association to connect and strengthen our Student-Athlete community through

Engaged Athleticism for Soulful Yogis