Could Penn State University be the first to have a Yoga Sports Science Scholarship Program?

In April 2013, Yoga Sports Science® (YSS) Founder Hayley Winter delivered the first YSS lecture on an American university campus to students and staff at Penn State University.

The two-hour lecture covered both the theoretical and practical aspects of applying sport-specific yoga to support athletic performance. The event was attended by students studying kinesiology, movement science, fitness studies and athletic training.

Penn State University is a major public research university with a well-established kinesiology programme. Its students are encouraged to think ahead and apply their knowledge and skills in preparation for careers beyond university.

The international network and opportunities associated with training through YSS were of particular interest to students approaching graduation and beginning to consider their career options.

Taking Sport-Specific Yoga Into the Classroom

The presentation of YSS case study research demonstrated how a research-informed approach could help explore the application of yoga within an athletic environment.

Penn State Kinesiology Instructor Lori Gravish commented:

“Yoga Sports Science is probably the best trend for the future and has taken functional screening to its highest level. All athletes, young and old can benefit from this program.”

The visit also raised an interesting possibility: what could happen when students studying human movement were given opportunities to apply sport-specific yoga within an athletic environment?

It offered the potential to bring education and practical application together, while giving students an opportunity to explore another approach to supporting athletes.

The First YSS Student Scholarship in America

For more than a decade, Yoga Sports Science® had been observing changing cultural perceptions of yoga within sport.

During that time, developing an educational programme that could explore the potential benefits of sport-specific yoga through research and practical application had been central to the Yoga Sports Coach™ training curriculum.

Hayley commented:

“As more athletes turn to yoga to find the marginal gains that may enhance their performance, the demand for yoga programmes that can demonstrate evidence of efficacy will become increasingly important.

Time, money and resources are big considerations, so bringing yoga into an athlete’s training has to demonstrate its value.

As YSS develops partnerships within education and universities, we see the potential for Yoga Sports Science within undergraduate Kinesiology or Exercise Science programmes, or within a postgraduate framework, to create interesting career pathways for the emerging graduate population.

Inspired by the enthusiasm and focus of some of the Penn State students we have met, YSS is now offering a Student Scholarship to help graduates with their ongoing development and create opportunities for them to take their careers to the next level.”

Looking Back

Looking back at this visit, what stands out is the opportunity to bring a conversation about yoga for athletes into an academic environment centred on kinesiology, movement science and athletic training.

At the time, sport-specific yoga was still an emerging area of education. Bringing YSS case study research into the university classroom gave students an opportunity to consider yoga through a different lens.

Rather than viewing yoga solely as a general practice, they could explore its potential application to movement, athletic performance and the individual needs of an athlete.

The visit also reflected a question that has remained central to the work of Yoga Sports Science®:

How can we bring the traditions and practices of yoga together with contemporary sports science in a way that is relevant, responsible and useful to athletes?

Years later, that question continues to shape the way we think about yoga for sport, education and the development of the teachers who work within it.

Bring Yoga for Athletes Into Your Curriculum

Are you a university, college or educational institution interested in introducing sport-specific yoga into your curriculum?

Our Yoga for Athletes 40-Hour Online Course brings together yoga, movement science and practical applications for working with athletes.

If you're exploring opportunities to offer Yoga for Athletes as a specialist module within your existing programme, we'd love to hear from you.

Get in touch with the Institute of Yoga Sports Science® to discuss how we could work together: info@yogasportscience.com