When the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs first approached Northside Hospital regarding their support, Northside Hospital saw the importance right away.
Northside Hospital Orthopedics (NHO) – Sports Medicine plays a pivotal role in supporting the athletic health and performance of all student-athletes across the region. In 2025 alone, NHO – Sports Medicine conducted 4,065 physicals and had 4,429 student athlete appointments. With dedicated teams of physicians and certified athletic trainers embedded in 60+ area high schools, NHO’s outreach extends to nearly 50,000 student athlete interactions each fall athletic season through training rooms and sideline coverage.
“When Terri Grunduski, AAASP’s Director of Communications, approached us about becoming a sponsor of the AAASP ASPIRE Awards, we knew we had to be involved to support the efforts of the student athletes, coaches, volunteers and advocates doing work to impact the growth of adapted sport opportunities across Georgia, shared Maria Chininis, Manager of Sports Medicine Outreach and Community Development. “Based in Gwinnett, we work with the Gwinnett Heat and know the level of competition and the families involved–so we thought it could be a great addition to our community outreach.”
Terri and Maria assembled a partnership including a Sponsorship of the ASPIRE Awards – the annual recognition event for the organization. Northside Hospital sponsors the trophies for all of the recipients. Northside Hospital also recognizes the importance of being a partner year round, as the AAASP student athletes compete year round, so we structured a partnership for involvement in the outdoor competition – Adapted Track & Field—to not only show support for the organization, but to lend health and wellness tips and advice for adapted athletes competing across the region.
Recently, Northside Hospital and AAASP established the Northside Hospital “Hydration Station” an oversized cooler to travel to not only the GHSA/AAASP Adapted Track and Field State Championship competition –but to all AAASP state competitions to keep the athletes hydrated!
“At the heart of our partnership is Northside Hospital’s commitment to the community. Adapted Sports is an important way we bring that commitment to life,” said Ed Shaddix, Director of Sports Medicine Outreach and Community Development for Northside Hospital. “We are honored to support pathways to participation for athletes with disabilities to experience the benefits of sports.”
Partnerships like the one between AAASP and Northside Hospital exemplify Northside Hospital’s commitment to helping keep competitors safe, healthy and returning to play when appropriate. Northside Hospital’s team continues to be a leader in the state providing injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation support, to keep student-athletes safe and performing at their best amid the rigors of their sports seasons.
For more information, please visit: Sports Medicine | Northside Hospital
