to contents Current Issues No.65
October 2013
 
 

 

A magnificent Year for the European College of Sport Science (ECSS)
Steffen Neubert

EJSS now Medline listed

Since 2001, the European College of Sport Science (ECSS) has released the European Journal of Sport Science (EJSS) as its official peer-reviewed journal. The EJSS consists of original research articles and intra- and interdisciplinary reviews of sport science research from scientists worldwide. It is published bimonthly, with six issues per year both in print and as online editions. Registered with an impact factor the EJSS is accepted for Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports®. Over recent years, the EJSS has steadily grown with the number of submissions increasing each year. The succinct articles and multimedia illustrations of a multidisciplinary EJSS cover the natural, biological, medical, behavioural and social science as they pertain to sport and exercise. Besides these state-of-the-art research articles, the EJSS also contains the ECSS Position Statements, published regularly.


In early 2013, the EJSS was accepted into Medline by the National Library of Medicine, prompting Prof. Andrew Jones, Editor in Chief of the EJSS, to say “This marks a significant achievement both for the journal and for ECSS. A Medline listing will increase the journal’s visibility, bringing our articles to the attention of many more researchers, educators, practitioners and sports science students throughout the world. In turn, this will result in more citations for the articles we publish, along with more submissions to the journal. More citations will give us a higher impact factor, and this will create even more interest. In short, I believe a Medline listing creates a virtuous circle which can only lead to stronger submissions and a higher quality journal. I would like to thank our Section Editors, Editorial Board, reviewers and authors for making this success possible; it represents appropriate recognition for the high-quality research we have published in EJSS over many years.”


Largest Congress in history of the ECSS

The ECSS Congress 2013 was the largest congress in the history of the ECSS. 3 114 delegates from 74 different countries participated in ECSS Barcelona 2013. When looking back at this outstanding scientific event, during the four days, high-quality research work was presented in a total number of 4 plenary sessions, 36 invited sessions, 465 oral presentations, 1 228 mini-oral presentations and 454 ePosters. The extraordinary social events such as opening and closing ceremonies, Young Investigators Award cocktail party and the amazing closing party were organised professionally. Participants enjoyed the hospitality of the Spanish hosts and socialised with colleagues from different research areas and 68 exhibitors from the industry to unify sport science. Presented by the hosting institution, National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), ECSS affiliated institutions and Congress sponsors, ECSS Barcelona 2013 was flanked by 7 satellite symposia which took place prior or within the lunch breaks of the Congress.


Hosted by the INEFC, the Congress venue provided an excellent setting, right at the centre of the Olympic Rings on Montjuïc Hill; next door to some of the main tokens of Barcelona’s Olympic dream, such as Calatrava’s sculpture, the historical Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium and the beautifully built sports arena, Isozaki’s Palau Sant Jordi. Barcelona offered a unique setting for the Congress with an amazing venue up at the Montjuïc Hill and lively city of Barcelona.


The ECSS as a European organisation never had a congress in Spain. It was time to give the floor to Spain as an important contributor to European sport science. ECSS was lucky to find in INEFC not only a competent partner, but also a perfect venue for its major annual event,” said former President of the ECSS Prof. Hans Hoppeler in March, 2013, and he was proven right.


Best Researchers awarded at ECSS Barcelona 2013

Since the inauguration of the ECSS and its first annual Congress in Nice, France in 1996, Mars Inc. as a founding partner of the ECSS has sponsored the ECSS Young Investigators Award (YIA) with generous cash prizes to support up-coming scientists. Young scientists have the opportunity of entering this prestigious competition for scientific excellence, where outstanding scientific work can be presented at the annual Congress. A jury consisting of the ECSS Scientific Board and ECSS Scientific Committee grants the awards based upon an oral or a mini-oral presentation for the top ten presentations respectively. Each year the YIA Cocktails reunite all former YIA winners– an ECSS-based network, uniting generations of sport scientists. Today, many former YIA winners are still closely connected to the ECSS and even support the ECSS in its Boards and Committees. The award has functioned for previous YIA winners as a starting point for their scientific career.

 


This year, the ECSS received a record number of 538 applications. 276 contestants were selected according to the reviewing criteria and 117 proceeded to the finals. In the two categories, mini-oral presentations and oral presentations, the 10 best finalists were awarded. The Winner of the mini-oral competition was Yoko Kunimasa, Japan and Nathan Smith, United Kingdom won the oral presentations.


For the first time, the Gatorade Sport Science Institute (GSSI), platinum partner of the ECSS, awarded outstanding research in the area of sports nutrition. Several applications for the GSSI Nutrition Award were received and among them, five contestants were nominated to present their work in front of representatives of the ECSS Scientific Committee and the ECSS Scientific Board. Tine Bex of Belgium won the competition.


In addition, the best Catalan poster was awarded by the Professional College of Physical Education of Catalonia (COPLEFC) and went to Josep Sánchez of Spain.

 

Bengt Saltin appointed ECSS Patron

Within the framework of the closing ceremony, Prof. Bengt Saltin, one of the founding fathers of the ECSS, its first President from 1996 - 1997, organiser of the 2nd ECSS Congress in Copenhagen in 1997 and former member of the Executive Board and Scientific Committee was appointed ECSS Patron by ECSS President Prof. Sigmund Loland.

 

 


In his honorary lecture, Bengt Saltin cherished the Barcelona 2013 Congress and the quality of research and presentations. He expects a good future for sport science and an ever growing role of the ECSS within it. Bengt Saltin’s impact in sport science is unique and inspiring.

 


The closing ceremony was followed by the open air ECSS Congress party, which was one of the social highlights of the Congress. A huge Paella and BBQ was arranged, beer and wine were served and people were dancing to live music and the beats of a DJ at Plaza Europa until late at night.


Preparations by ECSS are already in full swing for its 19th Annual Congress and the organisation looks forward to welcoming its members as well as researchers and scientists from all over the world to ECSS Amsterdam 2014 next summer.

 

Contact

Steffen Neubert
European College of Sport Science
Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6
D-50933 Cologne
Germany
Email: neubert@ecss.de

sport-science.org

 




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