Gettysburg College athletics aims to promote healthy minds and bodies for student-athletes as they tackle the rigors of competing collegiately, while also earning high-level academic degrees from the institution.
 
The College offers a range of well-being programs that focus on a host of issues ranging from financial well-being, professional development, mental health, and diversity and inclusion. Through collaborations with many of these programs, the Department of Athletics recently launched its own growing Well-Being Program which focuses on six dimensions of well-being: physical, emotional, career/academic, social, community, and financial. Several teams have engaged in well-being initiatives of their own, including men's basketball and women's soccer.
 
Some individual student-athletes have taken on wellness initiatives that have not only helped them grow physically and mentally, but have also helped their respective teams.
 
View the stories below to learn more about Gettysburg athletics' well-being programs.
 
Well-Being is a Team Effort
 
Last fall, Gettysburg officially launched its extensive Student-Athlete Well-Being Program. The program has helped student-athletes focus on specific areas of well-being and share information across the breadth of the athletics department. The key cogs in the program are members from the Student-Athlete Impact Leader (SAIL) program, who engage in research and share their newfound knowledge on well-being resources. The men's basketball team has taken on the topic of diversity and inclusion head on and continues to create important conversations to educate, empower, support, and engage others to be leaders in the College community. The women's soccer team shared some of its favorite recipes that help keep the student-athletes healthy and active.
 
Gettysburg Athletics Launches Well-Being Program
 
Men's Basketball Builds Inclusive Environment
 
Women's Soccer Dishes Recipes

Individual Well-Being Leads to Team Success
 
For some student-athletes, improving their own well-being has led to increased team success. Luke Matzke '21 has turned into a key contributor for the cross country and track and field programs after committing to a healthier lifestyle and better nutritional habits as he entered Gettysburg. Mental health was a big part of Shane Manieri's '22 development on the baseball field and now he shares his experiences with his fellow student-athletes through SAIL and as the school's Centennial Conference Student-Athlete Athletic Committee (SAAC) representative. In the summers, golfer Matthew Kalamar '22 works as a personal trainer at a gym in his hometown and he has used the knowledge gained there to help his teammates reach their goals on the golf course.
 
Luke Matzke '21: Running into Well-Being

Shane Manieri '22: Stepping Up to the Plate

Matthew Kalamar '22: A Straight Drive to Better Health