Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)

Executive Officer Anita Hobson-Powell, whose role it is to oversee the operations and functions of her organisation, portrays ESSA’s strategies and activities.  

ICSSPE News: Anita, please describe your organisation’s vision and mission?

Hobson-Powell: Exercise & Sports Science Australia is a professional organisation which is committed to establishing, promoting and defending the career paths of tertiary trained exercise and sports science practitioners. Our vision is ‘To achieve member excellence in exercise and sports science that will enrich the health and performance of every Australian’. Our mission statement is ‘Empowering our members by providing strategic leadership in exercise and sports science through advocacy, support of professional networks and the promotion of excellence in education, research and professional practice’.

ICSSPE News: Which activities and projects are implemented in order to reach your goals and objectives?

Hobson-Powell: ESSA focuses on four elements, namely advocacy, networks, education and standards. The exact contents of each element are as follows:

1. Advocacy - ESSA will promote its industries and its professions and influence key decision makers and stakeholders in the areas of exercise and sports science, health and fitness.
   1. Increase the public profile of ESSA and its practicing membership through media exposure, awareness campaigns and targeted marketing.
   2. Influence government on involvement of ESSA members in key health areas.
   3. Influence government on key policy.
   4. Increase the range and value of services, including compensable services, provided by the practicing membership.
   5. Build relationships with key sectors of the exercise and sports science community.
   6. Provide continual representation on behalf of members on advisory and representative committees.
   7. Advocate for government and industry funding for the enhancement and expansion of provider services.
   8. Support career path sustainability and diversity through workforce planning.
   9. Support and promote Exercise is Medicine.
2. Networks - ESSA will establish a strong platform for professional network opportunities and industry linkages for its members.
   1. Promote and support cross linkages with associated national and international organisations.
   2. Promote opportunities for inter-professional practice.
   3. Develop member networks for efficient member and committee communication.
   4. Value diversity and contributions from all areas of exercise and sports science by welcoming and supporting other suitably qualified professionals into the organisation.
   5. Strengthen the relationships with the higher education sector and support the connections between ESSA and academia.
3. Education - ESSA will become the organisation of choice for high quality continuing education and professional development in the fields of exercise and sports science.
   1. Develop and promote quality educational opportunities for all members at annual conferences and explore novel methods of content delivery.
   2. Promote and foster seminars and workshops for career-long learning.
   3. Improve access to continuing education to all members. Develop academic and university collaboration for the provision of continuing education.
   4. Develop vocationally focused continuing professional development opportunities for exercise and sports science professionals.
   5. Foster research and the translation of such knowledge into professional practice.
   6. Promote evidence-based practice through the dissemination of high quality research.
4. Standards - ESSA will support its members to maintain high professional standards of practice and ensure quality delivery of services to the community.
   1. Continue to develop the National University Course Accreditation Program (NUCAP) as a robust, reliable and valid accreditation of university programs.
   2. Work with universities to continually review and improve knowledge, skills and competencies as they relate to our professions and scopes of practice.
   3. Develop a skills and competencies matrix for exercise science, and review, strengthen and broaden the scopes of practice for sports science and exercise physiology.
   4. Continue to develop high standards in ethical practice and conduct that are robust, reliable and valid.
   5. Promote practice standards and accreditation that are underpinned by high quality evidence based research.
   6. Continue to build the position statement database to support the industry areas where our members are employed.
   7. Develop supportive resources for members to ensure that members are leaders in their fields of work.
   8. Ensure our membership structure is current in a changing environment.

ICSSPE News: What are the organisation’s target groups and who to you work together with?

Hobson-Powell: There are a number of groups we are looking to work with. In regards to our health agenda the Australian Federal Government, Department of Health, NGOs such as the National Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, National Lung Foundation, National Rural Health Alliance, National Aged Care Alliance, Health Workforce Australia and Universities delivering our qualifications. In regards to our sports agenda the Department of Health (Sports Unit), Australian Sports Commission, Australian Institute of Sport, National Sporting Organisations, Australian Strength and Conditioning Association and Universities delivering our qualifications.

ICSSPE News: How does your organisation plan on positioning itself within the next few years and which topics are considered particularly important to be dealt with?

Hobson-Powell: ESSA wants to increase the importance of exercise as a preventative and therapy for chronic and complex health conditions. In doing so, we show how our members have the right qualifications to work with other health professions in a multidisciplinary team. By the Government investing in exercise physiology treatments, it will be possible in the long term to decrease their health budget particularly through hospital visits. ESSA wants to also increase the recognition and the importance of accredited sports scientists as appropriately qualified individuals to work with Australia’s top athletes. The events of 2013 in Australia highlighted the importance of regulating sports scientists in Australia and ensuring the health and safety of athletes over winning.

ICSSPE News: Considering the current pressing issues in the sport sector (doping, match fixing, participation, access, good governance, sustainability, etc.), how relevant do you think it is to foster cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration amongst different stakeholders in order to solve these problems?

Hobson-Powell: All of these issues are linked together. Thus it is important for collaboration between the stakeholders. The problems are also not country bound and there appears to be a growing need for countries to be collaborating.

ICSSPE News: Which benefits does your organisation gain from its ICSSPE membership and how does the ICSSPE Network contribute to the achievement of your goals?    

Hobson-Powell: Being part of an international network is very important. We all have something to share and gain from collaboration and sharing. The opportunity ICSSPE provides for this contributes to one of our key strategies of networking with linked organisations.