The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) is proud to name Banner Sports Medicine as its Official and Exclusive Sports Medicine Provider and the title sponsor for the AIA’s championships. This unprecedented partnership, which began during the 2020-21 school year, is now extended through 2027-28.

Banner Sports Medicine will not only be a large part of the AIA’s championships but also an institutional ally, providing a multitude of services to the association’s student-athletes and their families. These support services include:

• Athletic trainer summits
• Sports medicine care and prevention education for underserved athletes
• State-of-the-art equipment and technology
• Physician fellowships and residences

“This is huge for our membership. There are so many benefits in working alongside Banner Sports Medicine,” said David Hines, AIA Executive Director “Banner will be a part of our student-athletes and their journeys, from start to finish. Their expertise with sports medicine, resources and commitment to the AIA makes this an extremely valuable partnership for us and our local communities.”

Recently, Banner Health opened the new Banner Sports Medicine Scottsdale, an 80,520-square foot center that delivers high-performance care to athletes of all ages and levels. Highlights of the facility include orthopedic and sports medicine physician clinic, physical therapy, surgery center, medical imaging, performance training, comprehensive concussion center and training fields for multiple sports.

“We’re honored to have this partnership with the AIA and proud that we can provide exceptional services to our local student athletes,” said Dr. Steven Erickson, chief of Primary Sports Medicine at Banner Health. “Our new Banner Sports Medicine Facility and High Performance Center will be a great benefit to these athletes as we are committed to help them improve their performance, prevent injuries and keep them healthy.”

On Saturday, Aug. 5, the community is invited to tour the new Banner Sports Medicine Scottsdale. The AZPreps365 Saturday Morning Radio Show will broadcast on site from 8-10 a.m. on 1580 AM The Fanatic (also 95.9 and 99.3 FM, or the station’s free app).

All of the AIA’s championships will now be co-branded by Banner Sports Medicine, and the organization will help in hosting bracket shows, executive meetings, radio shows, and other special events. The association will also promote the Banner Health Foundation and their events.

About Banner Health
Banner Health is one of the largest, secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. In addition to 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner also operates an academic medicine division, Banner – University Medicine, and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with one of the world’s leading cancer programs, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner’s array of services includes a health insurance division, employed physician groups, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care locations, home care and hospice services, retail pharmacies, stand-alone imaging centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, behavioral health services, a research division and a nursing registry. To make health care easier, 100% of Banner-employed doctors are available for virtual visits and patients may also reserve spots at Banner Urgent Care locations and can book appointments online with many Banner-employed doctors. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health also has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.

About Arizona Interscholastic Association
The AIA is a voluntary association of public and private Arizona high schools. Since 1913, the organization has created and sustained interscholastic activities that encourage maximum student participation by providing AIA member schools with an even playing field to ensure fair and equitable competition. The AIA believes that providing interscholastic activities for Arizona high school students creates personal development opportunities with a balanced focus on academics and extracurricular activities. Through its Arizona member schools, the AIA reaches more than 100,000 participants in high school activity programs. The organization hosts 5,000 championship contests and officiates more than 45,000 regular season games. For more information, visit www.aiaonline.org and www.azpreps365.com.