The Diamond Elite Athletes, Inc is a nonprofit organization that brings awareness to sickle cell anemia in sports. Sickle Cell anemia is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that are commonly found amongst African Americans and minorities.

Symptoms of sickle cell anemia is fatigue, dehydration, seizures, blood transfusions, and sometimes fatal. These symptoms are crucial to student athletes. Intensive trainings, and workouts could cause a student athlete with sickle cell to experience sever crisis, body cramps, and dehydration.

Sickle cell anemia is NOT a handicap, and does not automatically disqualify a athlete from participating in sports. In fact some NFL athletes have spent their entire careers playing Americas favorite sport (Football) while having this blood disorder.

Some college athletes have also died from the illness while training in football. Some athletes may go most of their lives without even knowing they have sickle cell anemia or the trait, or may not even experience any symptoms at all. 

We think that it is important that athletic departments, and physicians across the world stand with us in requiring a free hemoglobin test during a student sport physical.

With the knowledge of a blood screening, proper trainings can be conducted, safety plans can be put in place, physicians, and educational institutions can lower the risk of liabilities around intense sports.

Most importantly, It can also lower the risk of an African American athlete going into crisis and sometimes becoming fatal if immediate care is not provided. Please support us by signing this petition.