Troy, NY – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Athletics is proud to announce a new partnership with The Zone, a leading mental health and performance platform built by former student-athletes. This collaboration will provide RPI's freshman student-athletes with dedicated mental wellness tools and resources as they transition into the demands of college life, competition, and academics.

Entering college presents new challenges such as balancing rigorous coursework, athletic performance, and social pressures - all while adjusting to independence away from home. Through this partnership, RPI is proactively addressing those challenges by offering freshmen direct access to The Zone's mobile platform, which includes:

• On-demand mental health and performance content created by experts and former athletes.
• Daily wellness check-ins to track mood, stress, and readiness.
• Personalized coping and performance strategies to manage the pressures of both the classroom and competition.
• Staff insights dashboards that allow RPI support staff to identify trends and intervene early to better support freshman student-athletes..

Ivan Tchatchouwo, Co-Founder and CEO of The Zone, highlighted the importance of targeting support at the freshman level:

"The transition into college athletics can be overwhelming. RPI is showing incredible leadership by making sure their youngest athletes have resources to build resilience, confidence, and healthy habits from day one. This partnership ensures that support isn't reactive - it's proactive and built into the culture from the start."

Dr. Kristie Bowers, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, added: 

"RPI Athletics is proud to announce a new partnership with The Zone to provide enhanced mental health resources specifically for our freshman student-athletes. This initiative reflects our commitment to supporting their holistic well-being and ensuring a strong foundation for success—both academically and athletically."

RPI Athletics will work closely with The Zone throughout the academic year to integrate the platform into freshman orientation and ongoing student-athlete development initiatives, creating a strong foundation of care that extends beyond the playing field.

About The Zone
The Zone is an innovative mental performance platform designed for athletic programs. Built by former student-athletes, The Zone combines science-backed content, proactive tools, and real-time data to support both athletes and staff. The Zone helps bridge the gap between daily wellness and performance - making mental health as central to success as physical training.