SPORTS
SAIL Program Works to Improve Physical and Mental Health in Student-Athletes BY COLIN LAWLESS
T
he Student-Athlete Impact Leader (SAIL) program at Gettysburg continues to reinvent the way athletes adapt and respond to mental health in its third year. SAIL is a part of the Student Athlete Well-Being Program on campus, with the mission to bringing together “a group of student-athletes who are invested in the well-being of themselves, their teammates, and peers at Gettysburg College.”
The physical dimension of SAIL pertains to how studentathletes can stay physically fit whether in season or out. Sully Williams ’23 is a member of SAIL’s physical dimension. “[SAIL] brings together all of the programs on campus to form another amazing support system made up of both students and faculty to help us develop important leadership qualities while also being there when we need someone to listen,” Williams said.
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physical dimension, along with help from the many strength and conditioning coaches on campus, work hard to make sure that all of the teams are getting the right work done on the field, in the weight room, and when recovering to ensure athlete success. Along with strength and conditioning comes the nutritional aspect of physical
(Photos Luca España/The Gettysburgian, Graphic courtesy of Gettysburg College Athletics)
The group is made up of two to three members from each sports team on campus, along with their respective coaches. They come together monthly to discuss new ideas of how to grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially on and off the field. They have divided their attention to four dimensions of well-being: physical, social and emotional, professional, and community.
Williams is a big proponent of physical well-being and is excited to get more involved in SAIL this year. Each individual sport demands a different aspect of physical ability; for example, athletes might need to do more cardio in a sport like soccer, but work on weight-lifting and strengthening for a sport like football. Those involved in the
