Spaht Family Foundation Endows Dartmouth Peak Performance (DP2) Leadership Role to Advance Student-Athlete Well-Being
2/18/2026 10:40:00 AM | Athletics, Peak Performance
HANOVER, N.H.— A $5 million gift from the Spaht Family Foundation, led by Holden Spaht '96, P'29 and Claire Spaht P'29, will endow the position of Executive Associate Athletics Director for Dartmouth Peak Performance (DP2). DP2 is Dartmouth's comprehensive program designed to position student-athletes to achieve optimal levels of physical and mental health, mental performance, and personal growth.
"Claire and I are grateful for the opportunity to invest in a role that supports critical student-athlete needs including their mental health and well-being," says Holden Spaht. "As a former Dartmouth student-athlete, I understand the value of an all-encompassing approach like DP2 and how much the Dartmouth community at large stands to benefit from it."
Holden Spaht was a member of the varsity men's tennis team and served as captain in his senior year. Today he is a managing partner at Thoma Bravo, a private equity and growth capital firm. He and Claire live in San Francisco and are the parents of two daughters: Eliza, a student at Washington and Lee University, and Peyton, Dartmouth Class of 2029.
Austin Driggers, who joined the Department of Athletics and Recreation in 2024, will hold the title of the Spaht Family Executive Associate Athletics Director for Dartmouth Peak Performance. Driggers came to Dartmouth from the Kansas City Royals, where he was Senior Director for Performance Science. His career also includes high-level performance work with Major League Baseball, the NCAA, and U.S. Olympic training programs. Driggers is a 2012 graduate of Wheaton College, where he played football and baseball. He holds a master's degree in sport physiology and performance from East Tennessee State University and a PhD in health and human performance from Concordia University Chicago.
The newly endowed DP2 role will collaborate closely with the Kirsten and Eugene F. "Buddy" Teevens '79 Center for Peak Performance leadership team and play a vital part in advancing Dartmouth's strategic priorities. The Teevens Center will function as an interdisciplinary hub for research and programming focused on student well-being, leadership, and performance. Its three core pillars are elevating the competitiveness of Dartmouth's varsity athletics, extending elements of DP2 to all undergraduates, and driving groundbreaking research and innovation in performance science.
Driggers will collaborate with the Teevens Center director on extending select components of the DP2 program—leadership development, nutrition, and mental wellness and performance—to any undergraduate who chooses to participate. These programs foster resilience, strengthen leadership skills, and support both physical and mental health, key components of Dartmouth's Commitment to Care initiative, the College's strategic plan to promote student well-being. In further recognition of their generous gift, the Spaht family will also be honored as a member of the Founders Circle for the Teevens Center.
"Dartmouth Peak Performance has been a national leader in reimagining how we support student-athletes, not only prioritizing competitive excellence but also holistic growth, leadership, and well-being," said Mike Harrity, Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation. "In just the past two years, we've welcomed the following newly created roles: Director of Sports Nutrition, a Post-Doctoral Fellow for Sport and Counseling Psychology, a Program Manager for Sports Data and Analytics, three strength and conditioning coaches, including a Director of Olympic Strength and Conditioning, and three full-time staff in Athletic Training, while a search is also underway for a Director of Student-Athlete Professional Development."
"Thanks to the vision and generosity of the Spaht family, this endowment ensures that DP2 will continue to elevate the Dartmouth experience for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for their commitment, which strengthens our ability to prepare student-athletes to thrive on the field, in the classroom, and throughout their lives."
"Embedding mental health support and overall well being into every facet of student life lies at the heart of Dartmouth's Commitment to Care," said Jennifer Rosales, Senior Vice President for Community and Campus Life and Chief Student Affairs Officer. "Through Dartmouth Peak Performance we blend evidence based wellness strategies with performance science and leadership training, giving every student the tools to cultivate resilience, maintain peak performance, and lead purposefully—whether on the playing field, in the classroom, or beyond Dartmouth."
The gift from the Spaht Family Foundation helps ensure that Dartmouth continues to set the standard for athletic and performance excellence, leadership, and well-being for generations to come.
