TUCSON, Ariz. — While basketball season is still months away, the Pima Community College Aztecs are already preparing.
In the off season, assistant coach, Marsharne Flannigan has an interesting way of training his athletes.
Born and raised in Tucson, Flannigan has always had a passion for basketball.
“Basketball is something I’ve played my entire life, Flannigan said. "It’s the game I love, it's something that motivates me, it excites me, I think about it consistently all day every day.”
Flannigan has been with the Aztecs for the past three years.
“He’s done a lot for us," Dillan Baker, Pima Aztec sophomore said. "Coach Flann, he’s always there for us, whether you’re a big or a guard he’s always looking for ways to change your game and off the court he’s doing a lot for us and probably the most out of any coach I’ve ever seen.”
Apart from being the assistant basketball coach, Flannigan also runs the strength and fitness center at PCC.
Over the past three years he has implemented something different in his athletes' workouts
“We’ll lift probably four times a week and then on the fifth day we’ll do yoga," Flannigan said.
Flannigan uses yoga as a way to calm his athletes' mental state as well as help them with their flexibility.
“I love yoga," Nikko Pentelute, Pima Aztec sophomore said. "I did it a little bit before I got here but he really put me on to it and I think it’s helped me a lot.”
While players like Pentelute came in liking yoga, it took others a little longer to get used it.
“It was surprising at first for sure, you know, I’ve never done it before but eventually it paid off," Baker said.
Aztec basketball still has a little ways to go before the season which means more time for yoga.
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