St.Vincent Sports Performance Announce Historic Partnerships with Three National Governing Bodies
First and largest hospital-based program in the nation will provide medical support to USA Track & Field, USA Diving and USA Gymnastics
INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Today, St.Vincent Sports Performance officials announced new partnerships with USA Track & Field and USA Diving, as well as the extension of its partnership with USA Gymnastics as its official healthcare provider. These partnerships ensure that the country’s best athletes and coaches have immediate access to the comprehensive health services of St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital.
“We have a goal to define sports performance and our partnerships with these three very reputable national governing body organizations ensuring that we are making strides toward that goal,” said Ralph Reiff, director of St.Vincent Sports Performance. “It is our privilege to serve athletes across an array of sports, which is a testament to the experience and compassionate spirit of our team. Amateur and professional athletes can expect the same level of excellence when they visit our nationally-recognized staff for treatment or performance improvement.”
St.Vincent Sports Performance is the first and largest hospital-based program of its kind in the United States, which includes 19 physicians, 47 nationally-certified athletic trainers, 12 certified strength and conditioning specialists, two sport psychologists and one sports dietician.
“Having access to health care and rehabilitation services are big issues for all our athletes.” said Doug Logan, CEO of USA Track & Field. “We have been pleased with our partnership with St.Vincent and their elite athlete medical support program, as it assists athletes who require additional medical support.”
Through the USA Track & Field and USA Diving partnerships, St.Vincent athletic trainers, strength coaches and physicians will ensure both men and women athletes receive the necessary evaluations, return to training guidance, performance training and optimal treatment of illness or injuries.
“St.Vincent provides our program the crucial elements in sports performance to take our world-class athletes from good to great in the areas of strength, conditioning and sports psychology,” said Debbie Hesse, CEO of USA Diving. “This is an exciting step forward for our sport and an excellent service to help our athletes in their quest for success.”
The partnership between USA Gymnastics and St.Vincent Sports Performance started in 2006. The St.Vincent Sports Performance staff is available for consultation and medical support for U.S. national team members and their coaches, as well as to help educate the sport’s coaches at the grassroots level. St.Vincent physicians and sports medicine associates have provided medical support during training and competitions at national and international events. Additionally, they are available on a 24-hour basis to answer questions and address concerns as they arise.
“The expertise and resources that St.Vincent Sports Performance has provided to USA Gymnastics are invaluable,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Elite athletes have special needs, and St.Vincent has created a resource designed to serve those needs. Having a team of medical professionals trained for supporting world-class athletes is vital, and the quality treatment our athletes have received has helped us remain one of the top gymnastics countries in the world.”
The Indianapolis-based program currently provides comprehensive care to professional teams and athletes in an array of sports including: Indy Racing League (IRL), NFL, NBA, WNBA and other national governing body competitors. St.Vincent Sports Performance also provides support for three universities and 30 high school and middle school athletes in central Indiana.
Some of the nation’s top tier athletes who rely on St.Vincent Sports Performance include:
Greg Oden
Portland Trailblazers
Mario Chalmers
Miami Heat
Michael Conley Jr.
Memphis Grizzlies
Carl Landry
Houston Rockets
Daequan Cook
Miami Heat
Gary Brackett
Indianapolis Colts
Deion Branch
Seattle Seahawks and 2005 Super Bowl MVP
Dallas Clark
Indianapolis Colts
Tony Kanaan
IRL Series Champion
Dan Wheldon
IRL Driver and 2005 Indianapolis 500 Winner
Marco Andretti
IRL Driver
Sarah Fisher
IRL Driver
Bridget Sloan
Gymnastics – 2008 Olympic team silver medalist and 2009 US national all-around champion
Samantha Peszek
Gymnastics – 2008 Olympic team silver medalist
Bob Kennedy
Track & Field – Olympian and former American Record Holder
Amy Yoder-Begley
Track & Field – USA 10,000m Champion
Thomas Finchum
Diving – 2008 Olympian
Mary Beth Dunnichay
Diving – 2008 Olympian