Jamileh Stroman instructs the Brookhaven Bears baseball team to begin their yoga session with sun salutations. Stroman uses a microphone to ensure all the athletes can hear her. She speaks in a calm, soothing tone. The athletes are respectful and attentive.
After the pose, Stroman asks, “Where are you feeling that?”
The athletes respond and the class moves on to triangle poses. Stroman walks toward the athletes, strengthening the connection between her and them. She makes sure to engage the back row of athletes as well. As she walks around, Stroman makes minor adjustments and suggestions to the athletes so they can benefit more from each pose.
Earlier, 67 young men began gathering as early as 6:15 a.m. outside of the gymnasium in T Building. The Sept. 25 class was their fifth class with Stroman. Head baseball coach, Shaquille Thomas, joined the team for the yoga practice.
Thomas said he saw Stroman exiting a yoga class on Brookhaven Campus in the Spring 2024 semester and sparked a conversation with her.
Stroman said Thomas was not the first coach to approach her regarding teaching yoga to athletes. During their conversation, Stroman mentioned to Thomas that she is a yoga teacher. Since Aug. 28, Stroman has taught Thomas’s team every Wednesday morning.
She has been doing this in a volunteer capacity, in addition to her teaching duties. After the class finished, Stroman said, “[I] never saw this coming; [I] agreed to do it knowing I wouldn’t get paid.”
Isaiah Nava, who plays second base and is a captain of the baseball team, said yoga has contributed to his body being looser and breathing helps him stay calm. Nava said he loves Stroman and she is “super nice.” Nava said his favorite pose is the corpse pose, which was the last pose of the session as a time to unwind and listen to the calming sound of the ocean Stroman played on a boombox to the class.
In an email to The Courier, Noah Ferraro, a starting Bears pitcher, said he met a pitcher this past summer for a Division 1 college baseball team who said he had benefited from practicing yoga. Ferraro said, “If players at a high level are doing yoga, it’s a good thing we are following suit.” Ferraro also said he has benefited from yoga by “being able to control your breathing, and learning how to deal with adversity. Yoga really is no joke, so you have to learn how to deal with failing and being able to breathe throughout.”
Ferraro agrees with Nava saying corpse pose is also his favorite pose and said, “I think [the] whole team will agree that corpse is the best and favorite pose we do.”
Thomas said yoga is challenging and has contributed to his flexibility. It has benefited his core and lower half. He said the yoga class will benefit individual players by increasing flexion/flexibility and mental focus, as well as the team as a whole by contributing to their bond and ability to learn from each other.
Danielle Johnson, Brookhaven athletics director, better known as “Coach D,” said she hopes Dallas College will offer something such as a yoga, tai chi or pilates class every semester, including both summer sessions, for college credit. According to the college website, some of these classes were offered as recently as this current semester.
In an email to The Courier, Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, president of Brookhaven Campus, said: “I was impressed to see Dallas College Brookhaven Campus offering yoga classes to our baseball athletes. In addition to the stress-relieving benefits yoga exercise is known for, it’s also an excellent technique to improve flexibility, strength and balance and overall mental and physical well-being. Having met Stroman, I can see her charismatic and caring approach she brings to the class and how our athletes will benefit from this experience.”
