Footholds

INSTITUTE FOR SPORT AND SPORT MEDICINE IN BELGRADE, AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS
On the Wings of Science and Profession
This modern research and development institution, with a tradition that is almost sixty years long, is the foundation of expert support to sports and recreation in Serbia. It is an indispensable factor in making strategic decisions in this area. In May 2015, it is the host to the International Conference on Sports Medicine, the first one in Serbia, which will bring together hundreds of participants from around the world, the cream of this profession

In order for modern athletes to achieve titles, medals and victories, great desire, readiness to sacrifice and personal enthusiasm are not enough. They need an entire supporting system, which will enable them to grow to the level of champions. And the best example of this is the Institute for Sport and Sport Medicine of the Republic of Serbia, which has long been a testimony of an organized improvement of local supreme sport and recreation.
The Institute is a modern institution with a history that is almost sixty years long, during which it changed its name several times: Sports Institute, then Institute for Physical Culture and now the Institute for Sport and Sport Medicine. Contributions of the Institute to important results of Yugoslav and Serbian athletes re evident.
Today it is a reliable haven for Serbian athletes, a modern research and development institution, whose goal is to provide expert support to the system of sport and recreation in Serbia. It is an indispensable factor in making strategic decisions related to sports, because it provides support in various practical activities. It does this through continuous monitoring and advancement of professional work, with use of the latest knowledge in the area of training technology, through control of preparedness of competitors, advisory help and through various forms of advanced training of the staff.
Activity of the Institute is defined in the Law on Sports. It implies periodic testing and monitoring of anthropological characteristics of children, youth and adults. Control of the level of training of athletes, with professional and advisory help. Organizing trainings and preparation of athletes, improvement of their health condition and functional abilities. Maintaining master records in the area of sports and their publishing. Professional advancement of sports experts and experts in the area of sports medicine. Monitoring the professional work. Organizational and professional assistance in programs useful for sport. Advising in construction and adaptation of sports facilities. Advertising, publishing and scientific activity in the field of sports and sport medicine, as well as international cooperation in this.
Influence of the Institute on setting the national standards in the field of sports-medical reviews and motoric testing is great. It is accomplished by a superb team of experts in the area of medicine and sports sciences. Athletes have available the capacities at the Department for Special Healthcare for Top Athletes in Košutnjak and on Tašmajdan, then the Cabinet for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Dentistry, Laboratory for Psychology. Laboratory for Motoric Testing and Isokinetic Diagnostics has special significance for trainers and athletes, because there they gain insight into the condition of preparedness. With such professional assistance, they achieve the optimal program of trainings, monitoring efficiency and controlling the training process.
All departments are furnished with modern equipment.

GOOD FRUITS OF NEW ARRANGEMENTS

The Institute also carries out extensive publishing activity. They publish monographs and periodic publications. A library was created with around 20,000 titles: professional monographs and serial publications, doctoral and master theses of the associates...
Director Goran Bojović tells us about the activities that defined the organizational structure of the Institute and expanded its scope of activity:
– It is very important that ”Trim” Hotel was finally returned to us, since in a long period it was not under the management of the Institute, as well as the Youth Camp ”Karataš”, which stretches over more than 15 hectares and has 54 buildings, with halls, swimming pools, restaurants, outdoor courts. Reconstruction of the buildings and the institute itself is well under way. I should especially emphasize that it has passed the general urbanistic plan of Košutnjak, which opens a possibility for construction of buildings for sports and medical purposes on around 25,000 square meters. Also, for the first time this year, as a budgetary institution, we have returned the retained profit to the account of the government of the Republic of Serbia. We paid five specializations for doctors of sports medicine and one in the area of pediatrics. We are currently in the process of signing the protocol on motoric testing of children of school and preschool age with the city authorities.
Between May 21 and 23, the First Serbian International Conference of Sports Medicine will take place in Belgrade. It will bring together around 30 renowned lecturers, 300 guests and 500 participants. The best world experts in the area of sport medicine, orthopedics, surgery, radiology, cardiology and physical therapy will present their works, and among the guests will be the main doctors of the International Olympic Committee and World Football Federation. The organizers are the Institute for Sport and Sport Medicine, and one of the best known world hospitals for orthopedics and sports medicine ”Aspetar” from Qatar, with which the Institute has official cooperation. It will be an opportunity for the experts from Serbia and territories of the Sothern Slavs to meet with contemporary achievements in sports medicine, and for the Institute, this is another way to affirm itself as a prestigious institution in the field of sports medicine.

EMPIRE OF SPORTS IN KOŠUTNJAK WOODS

The Institute is located in Košutnjak, one of the most beautiful parts of Belgrade. It is surrounded by forest and greenery. Tw complexes are built on a surface area of over 43 hectares. The Upper one contains the Administrative Building, House of Sports, numerous outdoor courts, as well as accommodation capacities in four pavilions, where ”Trim” Hotel stands out.
The lower complex includes an outdoor area with five swimming pools, including an Olympic pool for water jumps. This part, together with its sports courts, is also surrounded by the forest and developed green areas.
The Institutes First National Training Center should be especially singled out. It consists of the House of Sports, outdoor swimming pools, swimming pool-hall on the open swimming area, trim track and athletic stadium.
The House of Sports is realization of an old idea on development of a single space for training of top athletes and national team players, which can also be used by recreational athletes. On a surface area of little over 5,000 square meters, there are fully renovated and technically modernized rooms that provide superb conditions for different sports activities. Our best athletes have already seen this, from boxers and karateka, through swimmers and basketball players, to handball and valley ball players and Para-Olympic athletes.
Numerous programs are offered to the general population: halls, swimming pool, fitness room, sauna, various training programs. Every week, around 3,000 professional and recreational athletes takes part in the programs of the House of Sports, which speaks volumes about the offered service level.
Outdoor swimming pools are fully reconstructed, together with bleachers and building for athletes, while the swimming pool building has been in operation for only two years and is available to a wide range of users, from national team players to recreational athletes. On 1,200 meters long ”Košutnjak” trim trail there is a reconstructed fitness area, with mounted lighting and stations with instructions for practicing. Professional teams of the Institute are advising on a daily basis all recreational athletes in the nature. The athletic stadium, the first of this kind in Serbia, has six racetracks, with a separate area for jumping disciplines. Since it has auditorium of 1,700 seats, it also meets the conditions for organizing regional competitions.

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Timely Correction
The Institute’s Cabinet for Preventive Corrective Gymnastics was founded in order to monitor and improve the condition of certain body parts in children, youth and athletes, as well as motoric development of children. Parents and children are informed about the significance of early detection of disorders in body posture and preventive measures.

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Silent Followers
Information and documentation activity at the Institute includes documenting statistical data, sports results and professional literature, preparation of information materials, international cooperation and library work. It is evident what the significance of these ”silent followers” of science and profession is.