2004 Pre-Olympic Congress
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The 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress started with the
ICSSPE meetings as well as the annual meetings of several Associations
– ICSSPE members, 2 days before its official opening. This two days
time was indicative of how this organization would progress, a preview
of the whole organization and a very successful test.
The Congress Opening Ceremony was crowned by success
with an impressive performance of students of the Department of Physical
Education & Sport Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
and members of the national acrobatic team. The good impression about
the organization of this exceptional event in the Sport Science community
was evident since the beginning of the congress. From the first day until
the last, people were completely satisfied with the services provided.
The 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress was the largest ever
held in terms of parallel sessions (12 parallel sessions in each time
slot), and the Congress venue was the most suitable choice for this “feat”,
considering the fact that the Aristotle University is the most convenient
place in Thessaloniki, in terms of its location in the heart of the city,
as well as because it is the only place where one can find so many large
halls for this purpose. The Congress was held in the New Building of the
Philosophy Faculty as well as in the University Administration Building.
It was attended by 1 253 people from approximately 70 countries with presentation
from Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia. A very interesting point
was the attendance of people coming especially from Asian countries, about
36% of the total number of participants, as well as from developing countries,
that is 45% of the total number of participants. We were extremely pleased
to welcome the Delegation of the Chinese Olympic Committee as well as
the approximately 200 Chinese delegates who attended the Congress, many
of whom visited a European country for the first time.
One of the Congress’s interesting points was
that several Sport Associations-ICSSPE members organized their annual
meetings and General Assemblies prior to or during the Congress. We, as
the Congress Organizers, are quite grateful for the holding of those meetings,
and would like to thank:
The International Council of Physical Activity and
Fitness Research (ICPAFR), for having chosen to hold their annual general
assembly and board meeting during the Congress.
The Fédération Internationale de Chiropratique
du Sport (FICS), for holding their General Assembly and their National
Sports Councils Meeting.
The International Council for Coach Education (ICCE)
for holding their annual meeting and most especially Prof. Dr Uri Schaefer
for his kind cooperation and his spirit of cooperativeness and good will,
which helped us enormously at a certain point during the Congress.
The International Society for the Advancement of
Kinanthropometry (ISAK) and its President Prof. Dr Mike Marfell-Jones
for the excellent cooperation during the holding of the ISAK Council Meeting
and Biennal General Meeting as well as the ISAK Re-accreditation Exams.
The ISAK has also contributed to the Congress Scientific Programme with
3 sessions.
We would also like to express our special thanks
to the members of the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity
(IFAPA) and the European Federation Adapted Physical Education (EUFAPA)
for holding their annual meetings as well as for their contribution to
the Congress Scientific Programme by holding 3 sessions but also by contributing
to several other sessions concerning adapted physical education.
Two of the Associations-ICSSPE members incorporated
their annual congresses within the 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress framework.
The Association Internationale d’Ecoles Supérieures d’Education
Physique (AIESEP) contributed with 5 sessions, one of which was the Cagical
Lecture, presented by the Congress invited speaker J. Baur. The International
Sociology of Sport Association (ISSA) also included their annual congress
in the 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress scientific programme by organizing 7
sessions. Both Associations organized their annual meetings during the
Congress. Special thanks are in order to the board members of the two
above-mentioned Associations, but most especially we would like to express
our gratitude to Prof. Drs R. Feingold and D. Macdonald (AIESEP) and Prof.
Drs G. Pfister (ISSA President) and J. Maguire (previous ISSA President)
as well as Dr S. Jackson (ISSA Secretary) for the excellent cooperation
during the Congress preparation.
The free presentations during the Congress totalled
1 013 (440 oral and 573 poster). In terms of session statistics, 5 keynote
speakers were hosted in the Congress, 1 every day presenting their lecture
on an important topic of international interest during each day’s
plenary session and one presenting the Ernst Jorkl Lecture before the
Congress Closing Ceremony. This Pre-Olympic Congress was characterized
by the great variety of sessions. There were 4 interdisciplinary round
tables, 11 disciplinary current issues sessions, 3 Socratic debates (a
session presented for the first time at an ICSSPE Pre-Olympic Congress),
13 workshops, 45 symposia, 3 colloquia, 2 tutorial sessions, and 2 special
events sessions. The total number of presentations in those various Congress
sessions reached 230.
During each of the 4 Congress days, there was a plenary
session in the morning including a keynote lecture and a Interdisciplinary
Round Table dealing with the same theme. For each of the four days the
themes were the following: Ethics and Professionalization; Healthy Living
across the Life Span; Human Performance/Human Development Continuum; Quality
Physical Education. There was also on the same day, and in most cases,
the Socratic debate (morning), one workshop (afternoon), and one colloquium
(evening) with focus on the plenary session theme.
Let us also mention that several organizations-ICSSPE
members also participated in the Congress scientific programme by organizing
symposia and workshops, which is a common practice during Pre-Olympic
Congresses. An interesting parameter concerning the organization of various
sessions by associations is that during the congress there were few sessions
organized by associations that were not involved with ICSSPE, for instance
the Gatorade Sport Science Institute organized a satellite symposium prior
to the Congress, as well as Sport Physiotherapy Australia organizing a
symposium and workshop. The National Women Sport Societies Associations
of the Physical Education Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran
also contributed to the Congress Programme by presenting a video on the
Iranian women and sports during the IAPESGW workshop.
The Congress cyber café was once again organized
by the International Association of Sport Information (IASI). We would
like to thank Drs A. Poncet, G. Ghent, and A. Maharik for hosting the
cyber café with great success, giving delegates the opportunity
to have access to sport information from the web as well as make contacts
through it.
The Congress Scientific Programme was characterized
by more pedagogy and sociology sessions, making up 35% of the total number
of sessions. This was, however, up to a certain point inevitable considering
the AIESEP and ISSA involvement in the Congress. There was, on the other
hand, an evident concern on behalf of the Congress Scientific Committee
that all, or at least most of the scientific fields were covered and for
this reason, some sessions were included in the Scientific Programme quite
late, after the realization of not having included specific scientific
areas in the programme, as was the case with the two physiotherapy sessions,
supported by the Sports Physiotherapy Australia. Another Congress goal
succeeded during the 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress, as in previous Pre-Olympic
Congresses also, was its multidisciplinary character not only in terms
of the sessions’ variety of themes and scientific areas covered
but also in terms of multidisciplinary sessions viewing an issue from
different scientific aspects, that being the case of the ECSS symposium
as well as a few others.
Another interesting point was that 10% of the Congress
sessions were dedicated to Adapted Physical Education issues. We were
also extremely happy that the President of the International Paralympic
Committee (IPC) Mr. Phil Craven was one of our distinguished invited VIPs,
who contributed with his presence as a Congress chairperson, and speaker
during the opening ceremony, as well as with his presence as a Congress
delegate, during the whole Congress.
A great scientific event as the 2004 Pre-Olympic
Congress would not have been possible without the support and assistance
of several organizations/associations, public, private and international,
which have contributed enormously to the congress financial support as
sponsors. The local (Municipality and Prefecture of Thessaloniki, Region
of Central Macedonia) and public (OPAP S.A., Ministry of Macedonia &
Thrace, Ministry of Education & Religious Affairs, etc) Greek authorities,
the International Organizations (IOC, UNESCO) are some of the important
Congress sponsors that we feel necessary to mention. Moreover, several
groups of people and smaller associations have offered their support to
the Congress, like the Gatorade Sport Science Institute and the National
Alliance for Youth Sport, which have contributed financially to the Congress
organizing and at the same time, a session, as well as Mercedes for offering
8 cars to meet the Congress transportation needs.
Another important factor for the Congress was the
90 volunteers who in various posts. Their work and willingness was one
of the factors determining the Congress’s success. These people,
mostly students of the various Departments of Physical Education &
Sport Science of the country, who were always eager to assist delegates
during the Congress, have actually displayed the spirit of Greek hospitality
and good will, manifesting one of our most important cultural traits.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the company responsible
for the Congress’s technical support as they have been one of the
principal reasons for its success during these 5 days. Our special thanks
should also go to SYMVOLI, the PCO which has assisted us enormously in
organizing the Congress during the last year and a half of its preparation.
Special thanks are in order for the Rector of the Aristotle University
of Thessaloniki as well as the Dean of the Philosophy School for their
valuable support. Moreover, we would like to thank our colleagues of the
Organizing and Scientific Committees for their work and most important
contribution to the Congress’s four-year organization.
We would like to think that the 2004 Pre-Olympic
Congress has given delegates the opportunity to meet people from all over
the world, develop new scientific and personal contacts, learn and acquire
an experience to remember. This is mostly the greatest satisfaction the
Congress Organizers (Organizing and Scientific Committee) have aimed at
and have succeeded after 4 long years of hard work. We are certain that
this extraordinary spirit and effort will be continued by the ICSSPE Pre-Olympic
Congress’s next organizers in China.
Professor Ioannis Mouratidis
President of the Organizing Committee
of the 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress
Professor Spiros
Kellis
Secretary of the Organizing Committee
of the 2004 Pre-Olympic Congress

http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-january2005.htm
2004 Pre-Olympic Congress
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