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In 2025, the Netherlands celebrates 60 years of organised sports medicine. What began as peripheral support for athletes has evolved into a formally recognised medical specialty with academic and clinical depth. National full recognition as a clinical specialty in 2014 and European recognition in 2024 by the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) mark key milestones. This editorial reflects on the Dutch journey, its impact on research and practice and compares it with other emerging specialties. BJSM itself has chronicled this evolution, including a 1988 reflection on the growing scholarly relevance of sports medicine.1