Sports Medicine Australia is Australia's peak national umbrella body for sports medicine and

sports science Sports science is a discipline that studies how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health and performance from cellular to whole body perspectives. The study of sports science traditionally inc ...

. It was established in 1963 as the Australian Sports Medicine Federation. Its current membership includes sports medicine and health professionals, sports trainers, sporting clubs and community members. Its activities cover elite sport to community grass roots sports. It has branches in each Australian state.

History

It was formed in 1963 by the amalgamation of the Australian Sports Medicine Association and the Australian and the Australian Federation of Sports Medicine. Australian Sports Medicine Federation was established as a result of

1956 Melbourne Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

medical services. Australian Sports Medicine Federation was a

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breakaway group of Australian Sports Medicine Federation. Membership was originally restricted to medical doctors but now it has been widened to include a range of practitioners including: orthopedic surgeons, sports physicians, doctors, physiotherapists, optometrists, dentists, podiatrists, dietitians, psychologists, sports scientists, nurses, teachers, academics, soft tissue therapists and chiropractors. Some of these membership groups have established their own organisations – Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP),

Sports Dietitians Australia Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

, Exercise and Sports Science Australia, Sports Doctors Australia,

Australian Physiotherapy Association The Australian Physiotherapy Association (formerly the Australasian Massage Association) was founded by Teepoo Hall in 1905. The APA has published the '' Journal of Physiotherapy'' since 1954. History In February 1905, the prominent physician F ...

National Sports Physiotherapy Group but work with SMA particularly in relation to joint conferences. Brief summary of major historical developments: *1963 – Australian Sports Medicine Federation established *1964 – ''Australian Journal of Sports Medicine'' first published. Now called ''

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport The ''Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport'' (''JSAMS'') is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering sports science and sports medicine. It is published by Elsevier on behalf of Sports Medicine Australia and the editor-in-chief is Tim M ...

''. *1965 – inaugural Australian Sports Medicine Federation Conference,

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

*1974 – hosted FIMS Conference,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

*1982 – Launched the Australian Sports Trainers Scheme and published the ''Survey of Drug Use in Australian Sport'' *1983 – ''Sport Health'' magazine first published *1984 – Established National Office in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, Australian Capital Territory *1986 – hosted XXIII FIMS World Congress in Sports Medicine,

*1989 – Published ''Guidelines for Safety in Sport'' *1999 – 5th

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

World Congress on Sports Sciences, Sydney *2010 – National Office becomes a virtual office with staff members being located in state offices.

Services

Conferences

It held its 1st Conference in 1965 and its annual conference is Australia's largest and most significant sports medicine and sports science conference. Many state branches run conferences for their members.

Resources

SMA publishes a range of sports medicine resources: guidelines and factsheets on sports medicine issues such as heat, blood rules, children, women, journals ''Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport'' and ''Sport Health'' and sports first aid resources. ''

'' is one of the leading multidisciplinary sports science and medicine journals in terms of its impact.

Sports Trainers

In 1982, it established a sports trainers scheme. The scheme is now part of its Safer Sport Program (SSP) that aims to offer a safe environment for all Australians who engage in sport and to maximise participation in physical activity. It organises sports trainers to cover sporting, school and community events.

Advice and Commentary

Sports Medicine Australia provides advice and commentary to governments, organisations and the media on a range of issues including: head injuries and concussion, sport and exercise in the heat and cold, illnesses, skiing injuries, mouthguards, and

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References

External links

Sports Medicine Australia website
{{authority control Medical associations based in Australia Sports organizations established in 1963 Sports medicine organizations 1963 establishments in Australia