User:SportsScienes/ISSA

The International Sports Sciences Association is an organization that operates as a teaching institution and certification agency for fitness trainers, athletic trainers, aerobic instructors, and medical professionals.

The ISSA offers one general fitness certification course for personal training and six specialized fitness certification courses, including fitness nutrition, sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, exercise therapy, senior fitness and youth fitness. The student obtains the status of "Elite Trainer" after completion of three courses, and "Master Trainer" after completion of six courses. Instruction is based on exercise assessment, nutritional planning, fitness instruction, sports medicine practice, and post-rehabilitation training. The school has enrolled over 130,000 students, both in fitness education and continuing education courses.

The ISSA is the first fitness organization to earn national educational accreditation from a federally recognized agency (the Distance Education and Training Council).

History
Personal training as an industry is relatively new. Though it can be said that an interest in the physical form and muscle definition has been an interest throughout time, any official requirements or standards of fitness training had been lacking until the fitness boom of the 1980's. The International Sports Sciences Association was founded in 1988, when, "recognizing the need for standardization and credibility, Dr. Sal Arria and Dr. Fredrick Hatfield created a personal fitness training program to merge gym experience with practical and applied sciences." In keeping with this standard, the ISSA became a Provisional Affiliate of the National Board of Fitness Examiners in 2004. To explain, "the National Board of Fitness Examiners was founded to develop nationally based and uniform standards of practice for personal fitness trainers to be used to administer an NBFE provided written and practical examination followed by registration of those who successfully pass the test process. Under NBFE’s procedure, preparation for the NBFE examination can take several forms and includes training through a number of affiliated organizations who themselves include certifying organizations for fitness professionals," including the ISSA. In 2009, the ISSA became the first fitness organization to earn accreditation by a federally recognized accrediting agency--the Distance Education and Training Council (an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation). As a result, the ISSA was added to the list of GI Jobs' Military Friendly Schools in 2010, being approved by the Department of Defense for the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) to accept U.S. Armed Forces Tuition Assistance and the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Financial Assistance program.

Divisions

 * Public Division: "No restrictions, open to current students, current members, and the general public."
 * Primary Function: To "encourage enrollment in ISSA education programs...[and] provide information via articles and links on health and fitness."


 * Education Division: "Access restricted to students enrolled in ISSA education courses, and ISSA certified members in good standing."
 * Primary Function: To "provide specialized education in health and fitness."


 * Professional Division: "Exam access for ISSA students qualified to sit for final exam Full access for ISSA certified members in good standing."
 * Primary Function: To "administer final exams, issue certifications, [and] oversee maintenance of professional status."

List of Founders and Authors

 * Salvitore Arria, MSS, DC: Co-founder and CEO of the ISSA. Dr. Arria was the founder and director (from 1978 to 1996) of the Santa Barbara Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Clinic, "which was one of the first sports medicine clinics in the United States to incorporate a fitness training center within the clinic.  From 1980 to 1985 he treated the US Track and Field team and was appointed as a team doctor for the 1984 Olympic Games...His personal athletic achievements include winning the California State Powerlifting championships three times and was ranked in the top three in the USA in the 220-pound and 242-pound divisions. Dr. Arria was also appointed as a Special Advisor to the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and continues to consult many Olympic and professional athletes. In 1988 Dr. Arria co-founded and has since served as the CEO of the International Sports Sciences Association...[and] in 2003, Dr. Arria was a founding member of the National Board of Fitness Examiners, a not-for-profit organization which is responsible for defining scopes of practice, standards and national board examinations for personal fitness professionals. In 2004, Dr. Arria was elected President of the NBFE by the Board of Trustees."


 * Fredrick C. Hatfield, MSS, PhD (a.k.a. Dr. Squat): Co-founder and President of the ISSA, Author. Dr. Hatfield has won the World Championships three times in the sport of powerlifting.  Dr. Hatfield's former positions include an assistant professorship at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and Senior Vice President and Director of Research and Development for Weider Health and Fitness, Incorporated.  He is well versed in the areas of sports training, fitness, bodybuilding, and performance nutrtion, composing numerous books and articles on the subjects.  He has been coach and training consultant for several world-ranked and professional athletes, sports governing bodies and professional teams worldwide.


 * Thomas Fahey, EdD: Author, ISSA Director of Youth Fitness. Holds a Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in exercise physiology and motor development. Dr. Fahey was a college All-American track and field athlete and succeeded as masters world champion in the discus throw, nine-time US masters national champion, and three-time gold medal winner in Master’s World Games. Dr. Fahey has authored books on exercise physiology, wellness, and strength, and has contributed to hundreds of scientific journals and bodybuilding and fitness magazines.


 * John Berardi, PhD: Author. Owner of nutrition education company Precision Nutrition.  Dr. Berardi earned a doctorate in Exercise and Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario and currently serves as an adjunct assistant professor of Exercise Science at the University of Texas.


 * Ryan Andrews, MS/MA, RD: Author. Has obtained a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Northern Colorado and two Master’s Degrees from Kent State in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition.  He has also completed a Medical Center Dietetic Internship at Johns Hopkins.  He currently serves as Director of Education for Precision Nutrition.


 * Karl Knopf, EdD: Author, ISSA Director of Adaptive Fitness. "Dr. Knopf began his teaching career at Foothill College in Los Altos, California in 1976 as the coordinator of Adapted Physical Education."  He has facilitated developing programs for "mature adults, persons with arthritis and chronic pain, persons with disabilities, and the developmentally delayed. Since 1986 he has been a consultant with Stanford School of Medicine for older adult research projects and is a recent recipient of…NISOD, Excellence in Teaching Award."


 * Dan Gastelu, MS, MFS: Author, ISSA Director of Nutritional Sciences. Mr. Gastelu is a graduate of Rutgers University, where he taught science courses from 1980 to 1984. Currently, he creates and teaches CE courses about nutrition and dietary supplements for pharmacists and the ISSA.

Other Contributors

 * Michael Yessis, PhD: ISSA Director of Golf Fitness
 * E.J. “Doc” Kreis, EdD: ISSA Director of Sports Sciences
 * Jack Barnathan, DC: ISSA Director of Fitness Sciences, Seminar Instructor
 * Frank Sepe: ISSA Master of Fitness Science
 * Bill Pearl: ISSA International Fitness Advisor
 * LaReine Chabut: ISSA Director of Women's Fitness and Wellness
 * Bob Delmonteque, ND: ISSA Director of Senior Fitness
 * John Schaeffer, MS: ISSA Director of Powerlifting Sciences, Seminar Instructor
 * Tom Platz, BS: ISSA Director of Body Building Sciences
 * Col. JK Taylor, BS, MFS: ISSA Seminar Instructor
 * William J. Kraemer, PhD
 * Stephen Seiler, PhD
 * Priscilla M. Clarkson, PhD
 * Victor L. Katch, PhD
 * Frank I. Katch, PhD
 * William McArdle, PhD
 * Patrick S. Gamboa, BS, MSS: Vice President of Education
 * John Rowley: ISSA Director of Wellness

Accreditation and Affiliations
The ISSA is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized agency, is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

ISSA is registered with the Better Business Bureau and has been awarded the highest company rating of A+. The ISSA is approved by the New York Chiropractic College for Postgraduate and Continuing Education. The ISSA is also a Provisional Affiliate of the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NFBE).

Affiliation with U.S. Service Members
The ISSA is recognized by the Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support (DANTES) as a Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Program for Military Service Members. It is also approved for Armed Forces Tuition Assistance and Military Spouse Financial Assistance (MyCAA). "The ISSA is also GI Bill approved by the Bureau for Private and Postsecondary Vocational Education (BPPVE) under contract with the Veteran's Administration. Active military, veterans, and eligible spouses and dependents can receive reimbursement from the Veteran's Administration for testing fees for any ISSA fitness certification courses."

Additional Affiliations

 * California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS)
 * National Professional Group
 * Power Systems
 * Club Industry-- Primedia
 * Health Club Technologies
 * Bill Pearl Enterprises
 * Health Clubs of America
 * Human Kinetics
 * Lift for Kids
 * Liberty Science LLC
 * Millennium Fitness
 * Pro Power
 * International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB)
 * Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce
 * Muscle Magazine
 * Training and Conditioning
 * Smart Fuel
 * Aquasana
 * Fitness Today
 * Elite Fitness Center
 * Pro Trainer Elite