Saludo del Presidente de la Sociedad de Medicina y Ciencias del Tenis

I look forward to seeing you at the 11th World Congress of the Society for Tennis Medicine and Science at the Santiago Grisoli Auditorium within the Principe Felipe Museum City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain, November 5 – 7, 2009. It is an honor to have the annual STMS meeting in conjunction with the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Spanish Tennis Federation. This meeting will take place during the Valencia 500 Tennis Tournament. The board and I look forward to having you and your family attend this meeting.

The STMS meeting in Barcelona nearly a decade ago, also hosted by Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, was a huge success, and we feel this will be even bigger, as it is being held in conjunction with the Centennial Celebration of the Spanish Tennis Federation. Thanks to our host and program committee chairman, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, MD, we are expecting an exciting and fun meeting. Dr. Ruiz-Cotorro, his staff and our educational committee are developing an excellent program that promises to be educational and pertinent to your practice, as well as enjoyable. There will be several exciting, informative symposia on a wide range of topics, including the Tennisman’s Hip and Tennisman’s Spine, in addition to “How Do You Control A High Level Tennis Player”, and there will be symposia concentrating on specific pathologies of the upper and lower extremities, and a Symposium on physiotherapy and physical and psychological preparation for tennis play. These sessions will allow for interactive discussion and exchange from an international perspective. The program looks to encourage discussion on all topics with extra time to discuss controversial topics, in a variety of formats. Further, we look forward to submitted paper presentations of new research that relates to tennis medicine and science. And Dr. Ruiz-Cotorro has arranged for practical workshops each day. Additionally, we plan to have updates from the tennis tours about current issues they are having and some of their solutions, while also seeing where we, as a society, can contribute.

As you may know, the STMS Annual Meeting is designed to provide an opportunity for us to share the most current knowledge regarding tennis medicine and science while having time to watch and/or play tennis, and interact with other individuals world wide who have a similar interest in tennis related issues. We look forward to an excellent reception on Thursday, November 5, as well as opportunity to play some tennis on Friday, with a planned tennis tournament for STMS meeting participants. The highlight (after the fantastic scientific program) will be the opportunity to watch the quarter-final matches of the Valencia Open 500 Tennis Tournament on November 7th.

This meeting is an excellent opportunity to extend days either pre or post meeting to make it a most memorable week-long vacation for you and your family. This STMS World Congress truly is an immense value to our members and is a great educational resource. We hope that you will attend and bring your family to the STMS’s 2009 World Congress. Make your plans early, because this is going to be a fantastic meeting.

Sincerely,

Marc R. Safran, MD
President, STMS

Saludo del Presidente de la Real Federación Española de Tenis

En nombre del tenis español, como presidente de la Real Federación Española de Tenis, quiero, en primer lugar dar la bienvenida a todos los asistentes y a todos aquellos que han hecho posible este 11º Congreso Mundial de Medicina y Ciencias del Tenis. En un año tan especial para la Real Federación Española de Tenis como es el año del Centenario de nuestra fundación, supone todo un reto y un privilegio organizar en nuestro país este congreso, y hacerlo además en un lugar con un nombre tan sugestivo y una personalidad tan importante como el de la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias de la ciudad de Valencia.

De alguna manera, este 11º Congreso Mundial de Medicina y Ciencias del Tenis certifica el enorme y vital empuje que todo lo relacionado con la Medicina tiene en el mundo del deporte. El tenis es un deporte que tiene un enorme arraigo en nuestro país. De la mano de una gran red de federaciones territoriales y de clubes que vertebran su actividad, España se ha convertido en uno de los países de referencia en el tenis internacional. Lógicamente, desde la RFET, nuestra sensibilidad por todo aquello que nos haga ser mejores es una de nuestras razones de ser. En este sentido, el compromiso de la RFET por colaborar con la Society for Tennis Medicine and Science se ha ido reforzando con los años y, estoy plenamente convencido que será aún mayor tras esta experiencia.

Aunque la gran referencia mediática es siempre el deporte de elite y los deportistas de gran alcance internacional, la importancia de la prevención, el trabajo desde edades tempranas, la educación del deportista y sus entornos en todos los temas relacionados con la medicina, es sin duda el gran reto de futuro. Afortunadamente existe ya esta conciencia en la RFET de que la prevención es el camino del futuro, como lo demuestra que gracias a Mapfre, patrocinador principal del tenis español, hemos desarrollado un Centro de Medicina del Tenis que estoy convencido será uno de los pilares de nuestro futuro.

Estoy plenamente convencido de que este 11º Congreso Mundial de Medicina y Ciencias del Tenis, con una lista de ponentes y asistentes de la máxima categoría mundial, será todo un éxito del que además se beneficiaran tarde o tempradno millones de jugadores en todo el mundo.

Quiero por último agradecer a la Society for Tennis Medicine and Science la confianza que ha puesto en manos de la RFET para organizar este gran evento, a la Generalitat Valenciana por su apoyo incondicional para hacer posible este Congreso, así como al Open Tenis Valencia por compartir esta ilusión y ayudarnos a hacerla una realidad.

José Luis Escañuela
Presidente de la Real Federación Española de Tenis

Saludo del Dr. Angel Ruiz –Cotorro

Presidente del 11º Congreso Mundial de Medicina y Ciencias del Tenis. Valencia-2009

Few sports in the world can have a tag like the one surrounding tennis. The evolution of the sport in recent years has been spectacular. Regulations and the essence of the game have not changed, but the technique and the evolution of materials have led this sport to another dimension, both in the professional field and in the introduction of veterans. The evolution of tennis or revolution as well as I would classify it, has reached all areas. The medicine has not escaped this reality.

Personally I think that coaches’ education is one of the great pillars on which the development of tennis in a country lies. In Spain we have understood this since we created the National Coaching School of the Real Federación Española de Tenis back in the 1970’s.

The new techniques have brought new speeds, new intensity in practice, and with them new diseases have come or have increased some we already knew. Analyzing this new reality is the great challenge for all those who from our side as doctors are close to the sport of tennis. Needless to say that a survey, above all, the challenge for the future, our challenge as professionals, is prevention.

The 11th World Congress of Medicine and Science of Tennis is a unique opportunity to discuss, at the hands of the best specialists world, providing better health to a sport in which all of us are involved and love. Making a tennis metaphor, modernity has launched a very fast ball to our play area, and I'm sure we will return it to the other side of the net.

I want above all to thank the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation who has opted for the organization of the World Congress as one of the central events of the celebration of its centennial, and in turn trusting the Society for Tennis Medicine and Science in Spain to bring up to date learning and knowledge.

Also, my sincere thanks to the Generalitat Valencia for their support to the event, as well as those responsible for the Valencia Open 500 by joining their efforts in making this day a success. Of course a special mention for Mapfre, the main sponsor of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation, which has understood the importance of medicine in sport, and has demonstrated this in the creation of a unique medical center for tennis in Barcelona. To all those attending the Congress, my thanks for wanting to share these days with us and I'm sure it will be unforgettable for everyone.

Sincerely,
Angel Ruiz Cotorro
President of 11º Word Congress of Medicine and Science for Tennis. Valencia 2009.