On behalf of MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, from both VU University Amsterdam and VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, we are very pleased to invite you to the 19th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science in Amsterdam. The congress will be held between the 2nd and 5th of July 2014 at the Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre, only 15 minutes away by train from Schiphol Airport and near the old city centre of Amsterdam. By attending this congress you have an excellent possibility to discover or contribute to ‘Sport Science around the Canals’. Both at VU University Amsterdam and VU University Medical Center Amsterdam sports and human movement are studied in depth. The research of MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam aims to understand and improve sport performance by studying biomechanical, exercise and muscle physiological, and perceptual and cognitive processes and factors. Research at EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research is devoted to the health aspects of sports and physical (in-) activity. The vast output in high-impact, refereed international journals devoted to both theoretical and applied aspects of sports and human movement research. During the ECSS congress, information exchange in both oral and mini-oral presentation formats will be particularly emphasized and facilitated. The Young Investigators Award will again be one of the highlights of the congress. We are convinced that there will be a lot of exciting issues for everyone addressed in the programme.