About - History

In the late 1970s, the presidents and executive directors of six organizations dedicated to sports medicine and exercise science met annually to discuss issues of common concern. The organizations attending these private, non-publicized contact meetings were the ones most significantly involved in the emerging field of sports medicine:

• American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
• American College of Sports Medicine
• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
• National Athletic Trainers’ Association
• President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
• United States Olympic Committee

In the early 1990’s, with the explosive growth of sports medicine, Don Cooper, MD and Tom Miller, Chair and Executive Advisor, respectively, of the Joint Commission on Sports Medicine and Science, decided that a larger organization was needed. In the spring of 1993, they invited the presidents and executive directors of the key sports medicine, sports policy and sports science organizations to attend an expanded meeting. The meeting has evolved and continues to be held on an annual basis.

1993	Colorado Springs, CO	2002	St Louis, MO	2011	Philadelphia, PA	2020	Minneapolis, MN
1994	Washington DC	2003	Orlando, FL	2012	Portland, OR	2021	No Meeting
1995	Lake Buena Vista, FL	2004	Austin, TX	2013	Point Clear, AL	2022	Louisville, KY
1996	Hilton Head Island, SC	2005	Colorado Springs, CO	2014	Orlando, FL	2023	Kansas City, MO
1997	Nashville, TN	2006	Vancouver, Canada	2015	Memphis, TN	2024	Milwaukee, WI
1998	Las Vegas, NV	2007	Grapevine, TX	2016	Anaheim, CA	2025	Cleveland, OH
1999	Dallas, TX	2008	New Orleans, LA	2017	Columbus, OH
2000	Salt Lake City, UT	2009	Kansas City, MO	2018	Port St. Lucie, FL
2001	Indianapolis, IN	2010	Charlotte, NC	2019	Spokane, WA

Although the event has evolved from a contact meeting to an issues-oriented meeting, its purpose remains the same: To make it possible for colleagues from different organizations to get to know one another on a personal level, thereby making future collaboration easier and more productive.

The Joint Commission on Sports Medicine and Science thus serves as a convener and catalyst for cooperative ventures. The JCSMS takes no formal votes, nor does it issue position papers or statements. Its role is to simply get the leaders of the major organizations together and hopefully foster thoughtful discussion.