With the end of another exciting year for Yoga Sports Science getting closer, we decided to contact some of our recent graduates to see how things are going for them. This week we talked to Level 1 Yoga Sports Coach, Paula Rastrick.

YSS: Hi Paula. What are you up to?

PR: Hi! I’m currently working in the English Premier League, as a Yoga Sports Coach for a rather famous club. It’s very exciting!

YSS: Great! How did that come about?

PR: Well, before my Yoga Sports Science training I was initially employed in Feb 2010 by the Strength and Conditioning Coach to work solely with 15 year old school boys. The coach felt the lads lacked balance and wanted a Yoga teacher to come work with them.

YSS: This was before you started training with us?

PR: Yes. At that point I’d only recently completed my Yoga Teacher Training and had limited teaching experience with willing adults, let alone a pack of adolescent boys who clearly did not want to do Yoga! In their words, “It’s for girls”!

YSS: Oh dear. That’s often the perception isn’t it? How did you overcome that initial resistance?

PR: I vividly remember the first day. I was so nervous standing in front of 12 lads. I remember wondering what on earth I was doing. Luckily I’d met YSS Director Hayley Winter when she taught anatomy and biomechanics on my Yoga Teacher Training Course. She was able to give some advice and pointers from her time working in football. Without that my career could have easily taken another direction – straight back out the door!

YSS: Yes, Hayley had been working in football for some time then. And she’d come across similar perception gaps many times. What was her advice?

PR: Invaluable! She told me to be patient and work on gaining trust and respect. My first mistake would have been to try and work them hard, and in truth they would have hated it.

YSS: So, taking Hayley’s advice on board, how did you approach it?

PR: I started slowly. Very slowly! I worked hard to build trust and respect. Trust is a massive thing in football, specifically when working with groups of players. Football in the premiership is tough, there are tough people that you meet along the way and becoming fully integrated in the football world takes time, patience, and a sense of humour! It’s about being low key but quietly confident, without arrogance. And it’s about having awareness of ‘ego’ – yours and others around you!

YSS: Indeed. So when did you decide to do the Level 1 Yoga Sports Coach course?

PR: I always knew after meeting Hayley that I’d do the YSS Course. It seemed the perfect thing. Now I’ve just graduated from the Level 1 course and am fully qualified as a Yoga Sports Coach. I completed my research using a young Goalkeeper at the club as a case study. I now plan to go on and complete Level 2, and probably even Level 3!

YSS: That’s good to hear. What benefits did you get from training with us?

PR: The YSS Course has given me so much! But I’d say the most important elements  would be the YSS rationale and understanding of how to lesson plan using that rationale. That’s invaluable. Oh, and the techniques! What the hell would I have been doing next season without all those techniques to work with? Boredom is a major factor with football players and training – you have to keep it fresh and exciting! Finally, the YSS Course has given me confidence to keep delivering exciting, innovative, and varied sessions within a safe, structured framework. Knowing I’m supported by a network of other professional coaches that I can share experiences with and continue to learn from is a great feeling.

YSS: How’s your career at the club progressing now?

PR: From that first day back in February 2010 my role within the players training regime has gradually increased. I’m now employed by the club, and run yoga sessions every day, with various groups of players starting from 14 years of age right through to the First Team! It’s challenging at times but extremely exciting. I love it!

YSS: Brilliant! Well done! We wish you good luck with it, and look forward to seeing you on the Level 2 course in the New Year. Happy Holidays!

PR: You will indeed! And the same to you!