Franklin & Marshall College

Dips Strong

MISSION

- To be able to compete on the field and excel in the classroom, mental well-being is critical. 

- Dips Strong was created to support student-athlete mental well-being through mindfulness, mental performance, and mental health and combine them into one cohesive program. 

- The program aims to provide student-athletes with proactive support, education and access to resources. 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

PROmotion Mental Health Screenings

• In collaboration with our Sports Medicine staff, F&M athletics will conduct surveys in order to provide student-athletes with proactive support before they are in crisis. See this FAQ doc for more information. 

World Mental Health Day Celebration

• World Mental Health Day is held annually on October 10. At F&M, we make sure to celebrate by collaborating with different departments on campus. Regardless of how we celebrate, the goal is to help destigmatize mental health on our campus and ensure students know what resources are available to them while they’re in Lancaster.

Green Out Games

• Many of our teams hold a Mental Health Awareness game during their season and partner with F&M’s campus chapter of The Hidden Opponent and/or Morgan’s Message to share resources and education.

Guest Speakers

• Through the generosity of philanthropic gifts, we have been fortunate to bring in extraordinary speakers to hold workshops with our student-athletes.
• Some highlights include:
  • Megan Weisheipl, Mindset Coach
  • Cliff Crosby, Former NFL Player
  • Minding Your Mind

Additional Programming

• While Dip Strongs emphasizes the importance of mental health, programming often expands into other dimensions of wellness such as:
  • Nutrition presentations with one of F&M’s two campus dieticians/nutritionists.
  • Alcohol and drug prevention education programming with our on-campus education specialist from CARON Treatment Centers.
• Coaches and athletics department staff are also a primary audience for these programs, not just student-athletes. Our staff are educated annually on how to best support today’s collegiate student-athletes.

Resources

• Office of Wellness Programs
• Student Wellness Center / Counseling Services
• CARON treatment centers partnership 
• Resource Guide (for coaches and student-athletes)