Nashville Soccer Club and Vanderbilt Health announced today a strategic, multi-year relationship that includes Vanderbilt Health becoming an official sponsor of Nashville SC and the team's exclusive health care provider.
Vanderbilt Sports Medicine will provide Nashville SC's team physicians, including a chief medical officer, as well as a staff of athletic trainers, a nutritionist and sports psychologist. Vanderbilt Sports Medicine physicians will be present at all home matches and provide on-site medical care for the club and visiting teams.
"We are excited about the growth of professional soccer in our community, its impact on the city's national visibility and prestige, and the opportunity to provide exceptional care to Nashville SC's team members. This relationship will be an important component of our programs in Sports Medicine and their commitment to serve athletes of all ages and levels of experience. I want to take this opportunity to welcome Nashville SC into the Vanderbilt Health family. We look forward to many successful seasons ahead," said C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"We said from the outset that we wanted to build a club in Nashville, for Nashville, with Nashville," said Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre. "Securing such a key partnership with a truly Nashville organization is an important way to show our value of being part of this community. Equally, providing the best possible quality of healthcare to our athletes is a crucial element of ensuring we are the best we can be. As a recognized recipient of leading accolades by many National Academies, it's easy to see that we are aligning with a truly world class organization. We are delighted to have VUMC be part of our team.
Following a comprehensive, team-based approach to providing athletes holistic care, Vanderbilt Sports Medicine treats a full range of sports-related conditions, offering youth athletes to the most experienced professionals the most advanced care.
"The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's Sports Medicine Division has enjoyed the chance to work with the Nashville Soccer Club in the past and is excited at the opportunities provided by an MLS franchise," said Rick W. Wright, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "We believe the comprehensive medical care provided by VUMC headed by our physicians Jaron Sullivan and Andrew Gregory will be a significant contributor to the team's success."
Nashville SC and Vanderbilt Health share like-minded values, such as the commitment to diversity and inclusion, and believe that success flows from supporting the communities they serve and striving to engage diverse ideas.
Other aspects of the relationship between Nashville SC and Vanderbilt Health include increased visibility for Vanderbilt Health through TV broadcasts, the Club's digital platforms, digital in-stadium signage that will feature Vanderbilt Health and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, participation in fan giveaways, and other opportunities that will be announced later.
Patients of Vanderbilt Health will enjoy one-of-a-kind fan experiences such as player visits to the system's hospitals and being named honorary players. Nashville SC will also participate in annual fundraising events benefiting VUMC.
