Presidential Address of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine: stars and heroes.

Our story begins in a city far away from here and a long time ago. Several physicians held a “think-tank” and they began with a vision. They believed that there exists a body of knowledge that is unique to sports medicine. This dream evolved from the drawing board into a reality. These men understood anatomy, physiology, and—above all—patient care. These visionaries created the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. They knew how to push the envelope but realized that this new organization must be built on solid ground. Success depended on education, research, and member benefits. Their design has withstood the test of time. This year your Board of Directors created the Hall of Fame as a tribute to these pioneers. This is one of the highest awards given by the AOSSM, and I was blessed to be able to present the first award recipients. It was truly a special moment for me because one of my mentors and former partner, Robert Kerlan, was in that group. He was the ultimate team physician who taught me that our treatment must always protect the athlete’s future. As you can imagine, my year as AOSSM President was launched on a natural high. Life is always filled with challenges and my first hurdle was the Journal. Bob Leach, one of our icons, announced his retirement and the search for a new editor was launched. Bob has positioned the Journal as a worldwide influence in sports medicine. What direction do we turn? What do we need in an editor for the future? The Journal found a new young star in Bruce Reider from Chicago. Bruce is the Director of Sports Medicine at the University of Chicago. He was a traveling fellow and has received both the Excellence in Research Award and the Cabaud Memorial Research Award. He has also been a reviewer for AJSM since 1990. We believe that the Journal is in good hands and that he will move us forward. Returning to our educational mission, the AOSSM Board approved two new courses in hockey and soccer. To continue to be a leader in the sports medicine community, we must develop relationships with other organizations. The first course was jointly sponsored with the National Hockey League physicians and was held at the NHL Hall of Fame in Toronto. The education content was superb and the attendance was great. In September we were forced to learn two new words: Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Our country was challenged but our spirit of patriotism was never stronger. We were proud * Presented at the 28th annual meeting of the AOSSM, Orlando, Florida, July 1, 2001. † Address correspondence and reprint requests to Clarence L. Shields, MD, 6801 Park Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90045. 0363-5465/102/3030-0775$02.00/0 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, Vol. 30, No. 6 © 2002 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine