American College of Sports Medicine
Encyclopedia
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...

 and exercise science organization in the world. More than 40,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Founded in 1954, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) promotes and integrates scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...

 and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...

, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

, and quality of life. The ACSM national headquarters moved to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

 in 1984, joining organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

, the National Federation of State High School Associations
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. Most high schools, whether public or private, belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association...

, and national sport-specific governing bodies.

Members of ACSM work in a wide range of medical specialties, allied health professions, and scientific disciplines, and are committed to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports-related injuries and the advancement of the science of exercise.

Conferences

ACSM holds two major conferences each year, dedicated to continuing education for professionals: the Annual Meeting and the Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition. The 2009 Annual Meeting was held in Seattle; 2010 will take place in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

. The 2010 Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition will take place in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...

. Other meetings include roundtable specialty conferences, team physician courses, and regional chapter meetings.

Foundation

The ACSM Foundation is the fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...

 arm of the college. It actively seeks gifts from ACSM’s membership, as well as corporate sponsorship dollars. ACSM relies on the contributions of its members to further its mission.
In addition to its fundraising activities, the Foundation maintains several endowments. Most of these endowments make cash awards each year in various areas of sports medicine and exercise science. Each year these endowments grow, fueled by the generosity and commitment of leaders in the study of sports medicine and exercise science. In total, nearly $100,000 in awards is made to ACSM members each year to support research. Many of these award recipients are young investigators making initial contributions to furthering science.

The ACSM Foundation established its Research and Grants program in 1989. The program began with one research initiative in basic and applied science
Applied science
Applied science is the application of scientific knowledge transferred into a physical environment. Examples include testing a theoretical model through the use of formal science or solving a practical problem through the use of natural science....

, and awarded a total of $50,000 among five doctoral research students. In 2007, ACSM offered five research initiatives and awarded approximately $80,000 among 15 research students.

Certifications

ACSM also serves as a certification agency for various health-and-fitness professionals, including certified personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...

s, health/fitness instructors, exercise specialists and registered clinical exercise physiologists. ACSM certifications are largely regarded as some of the most rigorous credentialing programs available today.

ACSM is also a founding organization of the Exercise is Medicine
Exercise is Medicine
Exercise is Medicine is a nonprofit initiative launched by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association .-Overview:...

 program.

Leadership

The current ACSM presidential offices are held by:

President: James Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM

President-elect: Thomas Best, M.D., Ph.D., FACSM

Immediate past-President: Melinda Millard-Stafford, Ph.D., FACSM

See also

  • Personal Trainer
    Personal trainer
    A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...

  • Sports Medicine
    Sports medicine
    Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...

  • National Academy of Sports Medicine
    National Academy of Sports Medicine
    The National Academy of Sports Medicine sells study courses and examinations for personal trainer certification and funds fitness research and education. NASM was founded in Chicago, Illinois, USA in 1987. NASM develops continuing education in the form of study courses for professional athletic...

  • Board of Certification, Inc.
    Board of Certification, Inc.
    The Board of Certification Inc. was originally established in 1970 to set up a program for certifying Athletic Training Students and created qualifications for recertifying current Certified Athletic Trainers...

  • CPR

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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