Alex Diamond, DO, MPH, recently joined the Health and Safety Advisory Council, a panel of nationally recognized experts committed to prioritizing health, safety and development in youth sports.
The advisory council is a part of the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), a leading organization representing youth sports in the United States.
Diamond, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics and Neurological Surgery at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, is a longtime advocate for safety in youth sports.
“I’m very humbled that the NCYS leadership would invite me to serve in this advisory health and safety role,” said Diamond. “It’s an honor to join them in this valuable work and to support the mission of the NCYS in prioritizing health, safety and development for the 60 million children in the U.S. who participate in youth sports annually.”
According to data supplied by NCYS, 70% of young people quit sports by the age 13 because of unsafe environments, ineffective coaching and a lack of proper support.
Diamond applauds the group’s commitment to supporting the physical, emotional and social aspects of safety in sports.
“I fully endorse the NCYS vision that every child should have the chance to experience the transformative power of sports,” he said. “It’s incumbent upon all youth sports stakeholders to work together to make sure this happens in a safe, healthy, positive and high-quality environment so our kids can thrive.”
Diamond is the director of the Youth Sports Health Center at Monroe Carell. In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health, Diamond created and serves as the director of Tennessee Safe Stars Initiative, the first youth sports safety rating system in the country. He is also chair of the National Federation of State High School Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.
He is a consultant for the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association and a member of the Commissioner’s Council for Injury Prevention for the state of Tennessee. Recognized as the Pediatrician of the Year in 2019 by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, he is a staunch community advocate and has testified multiple times before the Tennessee Legislature on key sports medicine issues affecting youth, successfully resulting in several bills being signed into law.
As his reach within the youth sports safety community grows, Diamond hopes local initiatives “can serve as a model for designing large-scale programs that enhance youth sports health and safety.
“Continuing to grow what we do here locally while expanding those similar opportunities to others across the country is vital to ensure all kids reap the true benefit of sports for life,” he said.
