INDIANAPOLIS, August 20, 2020 – USA Gymnastics today endorsed and announced plans to support the recently published Position Statement on Sexual Violence in Sport from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM). The statement, which focuses on raising awareness of this issue in the sports medicine community to reduce the occurrence of sexual violence in sport, is the product of months of collaboration between members of the AMSSM Sexual Violence in Sport Task Force, a body of sports medicine physicians convened in July of 2019 to address the problem of sexual violence in sport.

“USA Gymnastics is proud to support AMSSM in the important work of educating sports medicine professionals on sexual violence in sport,” said Kim Kranz, USA Gymnastics’ Chief of Athlete Wellness. “Athlete health, wellness and safety are paramount to our mission and foundational to creating the sport experiences our athletes deserve. Our work with AMSSM will help strengthen our efforts in this space while reinforcing our commitment to keeping athletes safe.”

As part of the effort to eradicate this critical societal and public health issue, AMSSM – the largest organization of sports medicine physicians in the U.S. – is working with sports organizations around the country to create safe environments for all athletes in sports medicine and clinical settings.

“Sexual violence has no place in sports or our society,” said AMSSM President Tracy Ray, MD, FAMSSM. “AMSSM is pleased to provide guidance and support to USA Gymnastics with the hope that this position statement will help guide physicians and medical teams caring for athletes at every level.”

Moving forward, USA Gymnastics medical staff will undergo enhanced education based on the points set forth in AMSSM’s position statement and will serve as a resource for AMSSM on sports-related issues.

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of more than 4,800 sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic and Paralympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org