Wellness and Sport Performance Center to ease space, equipment crunch

hen you add up all the Manchester students involved in NCAA Division III, intramural and recreational sports, you’re talking about hundreds of Spartans. And that doesn’t include those who simply want a healthy lifestyle.

The sheer numbers have created a crunch for wellness and conditioning resources.

Check out the Leicester ’36 and Jean ’37 Brown Fitness Center in the Physical Education and Recreation Center (PERC) and you’ll see someone at every station at almost every hour.

Manchester students simply need more space and equipment for healthy fun, to train year-round, to build habits that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

“This is an area where you can have an impact on our students, every day,” said Melanie Harmon, vice president for advancement.

Right now, Manchester student-athletes don’t have enough indoor facilities to train effectively in winter or in inclement weather. This can limit their performance and conditioning, which could increase their risk of injury.

More space and equipment also mean that student-athletes will gain flexibility on the student side of their schedules – more time to take advantage of tutoring, research experiments, service learning and internships.

“Being a student-athlete to me means that I’m going to get my studies done first, and then focus on my athletics after that,” said Ben Miles, a member of the cross country All-Academic Team. The communication studies major from Fort Wayne, Ind., has a tight schedule. He is he is an active member of many organizations and sang in A Cappella Choir and sang at Carnegie Hall this spring.

He thanks donors who have made so much possible at Manchester, “to improve my experience as a student-athlete but also everyone else’s experience.”

The Wellness and Sport Performance Center will ultimately allow more students to stay physically fit and make healthy choices. With MU’s health science initiative, there is also great potential to provide rehabilitation and therapeutic services.

At Manchester, we encourage students to discover their best selves. Whether they compete at the NCAA Division III level or just want to have fun with friends, the Wellness and Sport Performance Center will contribute to a richer, healthier college experience.