Dear SMAANZ Community, Welcome to our last update for 2022! As we move towards the end of the 2022 year, this message provides some updates and thanks as SMAANZ transitions to a new board for 2023-2024. Firstly, on behalf of the board and wider membership, we provide a huge thankyou to Professor Emma Sherry and her team from the Sport Innovation Research Group and Swinburne University on the delivery of an outstanding SMAANZ conference in Melbourne earlier this month. It was great to re-connect with, and for some meet, colleagues in-person. For those who were able to join us in Melbourne, I’m sure you will agree it was an enjoyable experience, and very smoothly run few days. We trust you found the conference an interesting and stimulating one, and you enjoyed both the academic and networking opportunities it provided. We also acknowledge those members who were unable to join us this year and we look forward to seeing you again soon. With the Melbourne conference delivered we are excited to look forward to our next annual conference in Canberra in 2023, to be hosted by the University of Canberra. At the AGM, Stirling Sharpe gave an overview of what can be expected, and we look forward to hearing more over 2023 ahead of the call for papers. We were also pleased to announce in late November that the 2024 conference will be held in Geelong, to be hosted by Deakin University. Per the AGM and closing dinner, it is with excitement that we usher in a new SMAANZ board for the 2023-2024 period. We welcome back Kevin Filo (Griffith University, Vice President), Mel Johnston (AUT, Secretary and NZ representative), Stirling Sharpe (UC, Treasurer) and Sheranne Fairley (UQ, Board Member), and welcome our new members Pamm Philips (Deakin, SMR Editor), Alana Thomson (Federation, Board Member), Heath McDonald (RMIT, Board Member), Jonathon Robertson (Deakin, Board Member) and Ellie Faulkner (Swinburne, Student Representative). We thank our departing board members, Adam Karg, David Bond, Richard Buning, and Chelsey Taylor for their outstanding contributions. As noted at the SMAANZ dinner, the contribution of each departing board member extends well beyond the current board term, and we are thankful for the significant positive impact each of them has made. The Board also wishes to acknowledge the work of Sarah Wymer, our Admin Assistant for the wonderful contribution over the course of 2022. The new board will convene in February or March 2023 and begin planning work. We will maintain a focus on the journal, conferences, HDR activities, awards, as well as continue to explore other areas to add value to the membership. The opportunity for members to provide some feedback on the direction of SMAANZ will be provided early in the new year. We also have two important milestones for the community looming: 25 years of SMR and 30 years of SMAANZ respectively. We look forward recognising these significant moments during 2023 and 2024. I wish all our members and the wider SMAANZ community a wonderful holiday season and hope you all have a well-deserved break. We look forward to engaging with you again in 2023. Best wishes, Dr Ashleigh-Jane Thompson
SMAANZ President |
