The ITF Sport Science & Medicine Commission (SSMC) is one of the ITF's 17 committees and commissions. It is known as a 'commission' rather than a 'committee' because it is comprised of qualified experts in a particular subject area.
The ITF SSMC is comprised of a group of sport scientists, physicians, and tennis administrators from different parts of the world, including representatives from the ITF and the ATP and WTA Tours.
Commission members analyse and discuss the six areas of sport science relevant to tennis, including physiology, psychology, nutrition, biomechanics, motor learning and sports medicine.
The ITF SSMC originated as the ITF Medical Commission, which focused almost exclusively on anti-doping matters. The ITF Medical Commission became the springboard for the unified Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
To recognise the increased time being consumed by anti-doping, an Anti-Doping Sub-Commission was formed in 1995. When the ITF became a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2000, the Medical Commission changed its name to the Sport Science & Medicine Commission, which recognised and formalized its new (broader) remit, which included sport science and sports medicine.
A separate Anti-Doping Working Group was formed, which functions separately from but reports to the ITF SSMC.
Mission
The ITF SSMC is an authority on tennis-specific sport science and sports medicine. The ITF SSMC mission is to analyse, develop and disseminate tennis information relevant to sport science and medicine in order to maximize healthy participation in tennis, reduce injury risk, and to facilitate optimal performance.
Membership
The Commission membership for 2011-13 is as follows:
Chair: Brian Hainline (USA)
Member: Bernard Montalvan (FRA)
Member: Babette Pluim (NED)
Member: Wolfgang Stockhausen (GER)
Member: Anna Skorodumova (RUS)
Member: Sue Worstenholme (GBR)
ATP representative: Per Renstrom
WTA representative: Kathleen Stroia
ITF staff member: Stuart Miller
ITF staff member: Dave Miley
ITF staff observer: Miguel Crespo
ITF Pro Circuits observer: Nicky Dunn
ITF Administrator: Janet Page