Ferrara Moderates Pre-Olympic Symposium in Greece

Prior to the lighting of the Olympic Torch at the 2004 Summer Games, more than 1,000 sports medicine and science specialists from around the world gathered for the Pre-Olympic Congress at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Many scientific symposia, workshops and lectures were given to reflect this year’s theme: “Sport Science Through the Ages: Challenges in the New Millennium.”

Mike Ferrara, director of the University of Georgia’s athletic training program, moderated a key presentation titled, “The Athletic Therapist’s Role in Sports Medicine” on Tuesday, August 10. The 90-minute session was presented before an anticipated international audience of 1,000 individuals from the worlds of sports medicine and related areas.

“The purpose of the symposium,” says Ferrara, is to “globalize and promote the profession of athletic training/therapy.” Experts presented and discussed:

• the development and implementation of a comprehensive sports medicine program for athletes and physically-active individuals for injury prevention and rehabilitation;

• the design of a comprehensive sports medicine team highlighting various health care models used throughout the world;

• the development of an injury prevention program with specific strategies to reduce injuries in athletic participation based on epidemiological studies; and

• the current concepts, theories and techniques of late stage rehabilitation principles prior to returning an individual to unrestricted participation following an injury.

The lecturers at the symposium included:

Gene Elizabeth Verel, MA, ATC, who spoke on global sports medicine issues and concepts. Verel is Chair of the International Committee of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and Vice President of The World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy.

Zöe Hudson, MCSP, PhD, who spoke on return to play/late stage rehabilitation. Hudson is with the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine in the United Kingdom.

Glen L. Bergeron, PhD, CAT(C) spoke on injury prevention in the physically active. Bergeron is an associate professor of Athletic Therapy at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba representing the Canadian Athletic Therapists’ Association.

“It’s hard to put into words what this means to me,” Ferrara said. “It’s always nice to receive accolades, especially for something you enjoy doing – working with students and other health care professionals from around the world.”

Ferrara, who is a professor of exercise science in UGA’s College of Education, has been a leader in the athletic training field for more than two decades and has been honored for his excellence in teaching, research and service. He is current chair of the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy.

He served as curriculum director at Ball State University for 13 years before coming to UGA in 1998 to begin an athletic training program here, in cooperation with the UGA Athletic Department. During that span, he helped more than 200 students receive their National Athletic Trainers Association’s (NATA) certification.

Ferrara has been very active in research and has published in leading sports medicine journals. He has international expertise in sport epidemiology for athletes with disabilities and is currently pursuing research in the evaluation and treatment of sport-related concussions. He received the Most Distinguished Athletic Training Award from NATA in 2003 and its Outstanding Educator Award in 2001.

He has served on the International Paralympic Committee's Sport Science Committee as the expert in sport medicine issues for athletes with disabilities. He was Director of Medical Operations for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and served as medical coordinator to the U.S. medical team for the 1994 World Athletic Championships and the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games.

Ferrara received his doctorate from Penn State University, master’s from Michigan State University and bachelor’s from Ithaca College in New York. He earned his NATA certification in 1980 and served three years as the athletic trainer at Northwestern University before going to Ball State.

The Pre-Olympic Congress is one of the largest multi-disciplinary, professional meetings in the field and has been organized for more than 40 years before every Olympic Summer Games by the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE/CIEPSS, www.icsspe.org).

For more information about this symposium and other Pre-Olympic Congress symposia, visit www.preolympic2004.com and click on “Scientific Programme” and then “sessions.”

Monday, August 9, 2004

WRITER: Michael Childs, 706/542-5889, mchilds@coe.uga.edu
CONTACT: Michael Ferrara, 706/542-4801, mferrara@coe.uga.edu