Sports medicine in the new millennium: a vision for 2020

Globalisation, empowerment and technological change will determine the emerging directions in sports medicine in the new millennium. Networks and alliances of scientist and clinician services, as well as electronic profiling of athletes' learning styles, genetic predisposition and other variables, will enhance the spectrum of sports medicine services. Visionary direction will require changes in the organisational paradigms employed, the communication of information to athletes and coaches and the methodologies of assessment. An emphasis on prevention science and clinical and educational interventions will require a clearer focus. The sports medicine scientist and clinician of today must utilise the endowments suggested by Covey and the multiple intelligence models advanced by Gardner in capturing the clarity of focus for sports medicine in the new millennium.