From a chance meeting at York College’s Freeman Center, York College and the York General Wellness Center have entered into a partnership to promote wellness within our community --  and the location for that partnership is the Holthus Field House, located on the York College campus.
 
Matt Madole, York College athletic director, saw someone wandering through the gymnasium one day, looking somewhat lost. “I approached him to see if I could help,” Madole explained.  That person turned out to be Jon Larsen, a York native and also a strength and conditioning specialist at the York General Wellness Center.
 


PictureHead Softball Coach Roni Miller, Assistant Coach Kenny Miller (back left), and York General Strength and Conditioning Specialist Jon Larsen
“I discovered that Jon had been at the University of Nebraska/Kearney for 25 years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning, and that he really loved working with college kids on team training," said Madole. "Jon asked me if we needed help and what we were doing for strength and conditioning at York College ...the whole idea grew from there.  I passed the information on to several coaches at York College, and Roni Miller, our softball head coach, was interested in exploring team training possibilities.”
 
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when we partnered with Jon and York General," Miller recalled. "We have never done anything like this before and I knew his loyalty had been to UNK, but he quickly became a YC Panther. Previously we had used a mobile app for our fitness training — I couldn’t see any progress, and there was no one to interact with or to ask questions.  Having Jon here was huge for us -- he was able to correct things in real time.  My players understood their workouts better and they not only gained strength and power, they gained confidence.”

Miller continued, “Jon dedicated himself to our team and our softball conference stats this year prove it. We were #1 in hits, compared to #12 in 2018. We were #2 in batting average (.346), compared to #12 in 2018. We hit eight home runs in conference play . . . The numbers show that Jon helped to make my players better. We are thankful for his mentorship and we look forward to our future.”
 
The partnership between York College and York General is evident in other areas in addition to training. York General offers five free visits to physical therapy for injured athletes through York General Rehabilitation Services. This opportunity is also offered to area high school athletes.
 
"I truly feel that York College is a cornerstone of our community, and York General’s presence also speaks for itself," said Madole. "Collaboration makes our community stronger and that is a good thing for all of us.  We are proud to have the Holthus Field House as part of our campus, and the more use we can get out of it the better.”
 
Jim Ulrich, CEO of York General, added, “Our mission at York General is regional excellence through enhancing health and providing accessible care -- and it is a privilege to continue our partnership with York College to accomplish that.  Healthcare has certainly changed from solely treating illnesses to more wellness and preventative care . . . this is definitely a great way to carry forward our mission through collaboration, and stretching the access to care out into the communities we serve.  We are excited to build on this partnership that has great growth potential in the years to come.”
 
As part of this partnership, York General will be investing in improvements to the Holthus Field House and the Baker Center weight training room, including facilities upgrades such as flooring and new equipment. These upgrades will expand access for community members who participate in wellness programs through York General.  “We have had a long relationship with York General that has provided great benefits to our students. New leadership and interest from administration and staff there will elevate the services to our students to a new level,” said YC President Dr. Steve Eckman. “This new partnership will create more opportunities for both the community and campus.”