January 6, 2025

Fumihiro Yamasawa, MD, PhD

President, JSCSM

 Happy New Year, dear members.

 The year 2024 has been a difficult year due to natural disasters caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rains in that area. We pray for the earliest possible recovery and reconstruction while incorporating sports medicine into their daily lives and maintaining and improving their physical strength and health. On the other hand, in the world of sports, the performances of top athletes at Paris 2024 were very exciting. The year 2025 marks the beginning of the journey to Los Angeles 2028, and I would like to support this momentum from the perspective of sports medicine.

 In the New Year's address, I would like to inform the members about the great history of our seniors regarding the establishment of our society, the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine (JSCSM), and the current situation. I hope each member will contribute to the future development of the Society.

 Our aim is not only to support top athletes, but also to support athletes and competitions at various levels, and to contribute to the health promotion of the people in Japan through sporting activities and sports medicine, regardless of age or gender. The purpose of this mission dated back to the time when the National Institute of Physical Education (NIPE) was established in 1924 with the aim of improving physical fitness nation-wide, and the research on exercise physiology and sports education was initiated in NIPE. The NIPE was dissolved due to the World War II, but in 1949, the Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine was established mainly by basic medical scientists and exercise physiologists. In the other hand as clinical medicine, the East Japan Sports Medicine Study Group was established in 1979, and the West Japan Sports Medicine Study Group was established in 1980. On March 6, 1989, representatives of the East Japan Sports Medicine Study Group (Dr. Hiroyuki Nakajima), the West Japan Clinical Sports Medicine Study Group (Dr. Nobuyasu Ichikawa), and the Japan Orthopedic Sports Medicine Society (Dr. Haruo Takasawa) gathered at the Yamanoue (Hill-top) Hotel in Tokyo to hold a meeting regarding the establishment of a national sports medicine society in the field of clinical medicine. At the first three bodies meeting on March 31, 1989, the society was planned to name "The Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine", to clarify the differences from the Japan Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine. On August 25, 1989, the Japan Society of Clinical Sports Medicine (JSCSM) was established at the Hitotsubashi Hall, and Dr. Yoshio Kuroda was appointed as the first president of the Society. One of the reasons for the establishment of the Society was that there was a need for a common research and education place in all departments of clinical medicine. The first annual meeting of JSCSM was held in November 1990, and since then academic meetings have been held every autumn.

 In 1993, JSCSM was recognized as a member of the Science Council of Japan, and in November 2013, it was recognized as a member of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences, becoming the 114th subcommittee of the Japan Association of Medical Sciences. Our Society, JSCSM, has become the largest sports medicine society in Japan. In January 2014, it became a general incorporated association.

 At the time of establishment, members of the Society were restricted solely for doctors and dentists, but since 1994, medical professionals and paramedics have been welcomed as associate members, and from 2022, student members have also joined to the Society. The number of members, which was 1,291 at the time of establishment, has increased to 4,784 as of September 2024, and the number of members is steadily increasing. The increase in the number of members has revitalized the activities of academic societies. In addition, the revitalization of the Society has led to an increase in the number of members. The JSCSM International Committee conducts annual fellowship exchanges with American and Korean sports medicine societies. The JSCSM Academic Committee, Editorial Committee, and Research Ethics Committee raise the level of sports medicine research, while the Ethics COI Future Vision Committee and the Education and Training Committee incorporate innovations such as gender equality, young members' meetings, and sports field training to conduct sustainable and attractive academic activities. The year 2025 will be the 12th year since we became a general incorporated association, and it will be the year of the start dash to make a leap forward.

 On the other hand, what is worrisome is the current situation where the ratio of physician members (regular members) is decreasing. In 2004, it was 89.4%, but it decreased to 63.7% in 2014 and 54.1% in 2024, and it is predicted that the ratio of regular members will be halved in the next few years. Since it is a clinical medical society, securing doctors and dentists is an indispensable element for the future management and development of the Society. In addition, we cannot go against the trend of the world, and we can point out the older doctors and dentists will be retiring in the near future.

 However, digital transformation (DX) and artificial intelligence (AI) have recently been introduced in sports medicine. We should continue to do research with new technologies for the people in Japan,

 We look forward to welcoming young clinicians to join us.