Exercise & Sports Science welcomes Senate Inquiry into sports science
3 May, 2013
Confirmation that the Greens have secured a Senate Inquiry into sports science has been welcomed by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), which has long been calling for action to protect both professional players and the sports science industry.
Professor David Bishop, a board director of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) and Research Leader for Sport at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, issued the statement below following further developments in the ‘Sports Science in Australia’ controversy (for copies of previous statements, please click here) :
As Australia’s premier accreditation body for sports scientists, ESSA applauds the action taken by Greens Senator Di Natale in securing a Senate Inquiry into sports science.
Current ASADA investigations have highlighted the need for such action, not only to protect the wellbeing of our professional sports people but also to protect the credibility of qualified and accredited sports scientists who make such a valuable contribution to teams across the various sporting codes.
When the Inquiry commences, we look forward to presenting our case to demonstrate how ESSA, as a single independent regulator, can deliver benefits to sporting codes, government bodies and most importantly, to our professional athletes.
Recent events have highlighted that sports scientists arguably have the greatest contact with and influence over athletes, yet they continue to be the only members of a high-performance team that are not required to be accredited or registered by a professional body or national regulator – an anomaly which no doubt will be highlighted in the Senate Inquiry.
ESSA has been operating for over 22 years and has spent much of this time lobbying for compulsory accreditation of sports scientists. With over 3,500 members, ESSA’s robust accreditation system provides a clear definition of ‘sports science’, provides recognition of qualifications, minimum entry standards, assurance of practice standards, a code of conduct and ethics and an avenue for complaints. Our accredited sports scientists are required to adhere to similar standards to the medical profession, which puts the duty of care to the athlete as a priority.
We therefore applaud Senator Di Natale’s commitment to securing this Inquiry and look forward to presenting our position that only sport scientists accredited by a single professional body should be allowed to work with professional clubs and their players.
For more information about ESSA please visit www.essa.org.au.
Ends.
ABOUT ESSA
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the peak professional body for exercise and sports science in Australia and provides national leadership and advocacy on key issues. It supports its over 3,500 members and the community through fostering excellence in professional practice, education, training and research.
Website: www.essa.org.au
Official Media Spokesperson for this release:
Professor David Bishop BHMS Ed Hons PhD (QLD)
Board Member
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)
and
Research Leader, Sport, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living
Victoria University, Melbourne
david.bishop@essa.org.au
Tel: 03 9919 9471
M: 0435 962 364
For further media information, please contact Maya from Fresh PR & Marketing on 0410 109 102 or email maya@freshprm.com.au.
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