Health, Fitness, and Safety

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)

An alliance of associations providing support to professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, sports and coaching, dance, and health education and promotion.

American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR)

An association linking professionals in education with community-based programs, promoting creative and active lifestyles through physical activity and recreation across the life span.

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

A nonprofit organization that protects against ineffective fitness products, while also providing ongoing public education, outreach, and research, and sets certification and continuing education standards for fitness professionals.

American School Health Association (ASHA)

An association that organizes and advocates for effective school health policies that contribute to optimal health and academic outcomes for all school-age children.

American Sport Education Program (ASEP)

An organization providing an educational program for coaches based on sports sciences such as sport physiology, sport psychology, and sport biomechanics.

American Swimming Coaches Association

A swimming association dedicated to enhancing coaching and building a stronger swimming community.

Canadian Fitness Professionals (CAN-FIT-PRO)

An organization providing education and certification for fitness professionals throughout Canada.

Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research

A nonprofit, founded in 1970, that has established an international reputation for research and education in preventive medicine.

Exercise Safety Association (ESA)

A national organization for fitness professionals providing certification and membership as well as fitness instructor training.

International Fitness Professionals Association (IFPA)

An association affiliated with Doctors Fitness Centers (DFC) and the Fitness Institute of Technology (FIT), providing fitness professionals the education and certification necessary to treat more than 65 different diseases, disabilities, and dysfunctions.

Joint Commission on Sports Medicine and Medical Science

A voluntary forum that meets annually to discuss current issues in the profession as well as those that concern the future of sports medicine.

National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS)

An organization whose aim is to make the sports experience safe, fun, and healthy for youth by ensuring that the adults involved have proper training and information.

National Association for Health & Fitness (NAHF)

A nonprofit organization that promotes physical fitness, sports, and healthy lifestyles by fostering and supporting governors’ and state councils and coalitions that promote and encourage regular physical activity.

National Association of Speed and Explosion (NASE)

An educational organization and certification agency that includes coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, educators, and physicians focusing on the improvement of speed in short sprints to enhance athletic performance.

National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Inc. (NATA)

A professional membership association for certified athletic trainers geared toward enhancing and advancing the athletic training profession.

National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS)

An organization that represents more than 185 organizations (44,000,000 youth in organized sports) in the youth sports industry and promotes physical activity in youth via organized sports.

National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA)

A national nonprofit association that centers on the influence and professionalism of coaches and provides insurance coverage and educational programs for its participants.

National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS)

An Indiana-based nonprofit organization that conducts research for enhancing health and athletic performance and provides physical fitness programs and health and fitness education for individuals and corporations.

National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE)

A committee that develops performance standards for the protective equipment used in a variety of [Page 1643]sports and commissions scientific research on the mechanisms of athletic injuries.

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

An association that promotes and disseminates research on strength and conditioning to improve athletic performance and fitness.

National Youth Sports Safety Foundation (NYSSF)

A national nonprofit organization working to minimize the number and severity of sports-sustained youth injuries.

President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS)

A volunteer committee working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to engage, educate, and empower Americans of all ages to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.

Sport in Society, National University Consortium for Sport in Society

An organization based at Northeastern University that promotes the use of sports to help prevent interpersonal violence, improve the health of impoverished youth, and foster social diversity.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC)

The U.S. federal agency charged with protecting consumers and families from products that may pose a hazard or threat.

Sports

Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (AAU)

A national nonprofit, volunteer, multisport organization dedicated to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.

American Junior Golf Association (AJGA)

A nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth and development of competitive junior golfers striving to earn college golf scholarships.

Canada Games Council

The governing body for the Canada Games: a private, nonprofit organization that promotes ongoing partnerships with organizations at the municipal, provincial, and national levels and provides support in organizational planning, ceremonies, marketing, and sponsorship.

Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS)

An association supporting and promoting women in sport while providing leadership and education.

Canadian Blind Sports Association (CBSA)

The national governing body for goalball, advocating for the blind and visually impaired within the sports system.

Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES)

A nonprofit organization devoted to promoting ethical conduct in sport and responsible for the implementation and management of Canada's Anti-Doping Program.

Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA)

The national governing body for college sports in Canada.

Canadian Deaf Sports Association (ASSC-CDSA)

An organization that supports deaf athletes who meet the requirements for participating in international competitions, especially the Pan American Games for the Deaf, the Deaflympics, and the World Deaf Championships.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS)

The national governing body of university sports in Canada, comprising 52 member universities.

Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (CWSA)

A national sports organization, founded in 1967, representing wheelchair athletes.

Coaches of Canada

The national organization that represents, promotes, and regulates the profession of athletic coaching in Canada.

International Amateur Swimming Federation (IASF)

The world governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, and open-water swimming, promoting the development of swimming worldwide.

National Association for Girls and Women in Sports

An association within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance that advocates for girls and women in sports.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)

An association within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance dedicated to enhancing knowledge and increasing support for quality physical education programs.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The national governing body for intercollegiate athletics in the United States.

National Dance Association (NDA)

An association that strives to promote quality dance by providing leadership, disseminating research, and collaborating with external partnerships.

National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association (NFICA)

An association that aims to improve the athletic participation experience while establishing consistent standards and rules for competition.

National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)

A research and educational resource for collegiate recreational sports that promotes superior recreational programs, facilities, and services for diverse populations.

Special Olympics

An international organization that holds a competition every 2 years as well as yearlong training for people who have intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics Canada

A national nonprofit organization that provides sports training and competition opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

United States Olympic Committee

A committee responsible for training, entering, and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American, and Parapan-American Games, as well as overseeing the process by which U.S. cities seek to be selected as a host to these games.

United States Soccer

The governing body for soccer in the United States, promoting the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.

United States Sports Academy

An independent, nonprofit, accredited sports university providing programs in instruction, research, and service to prepare those pursuing careers in the profession of sports.

US Figure Skating (USFS)

The national governing body for figure skating and a member of the International Skating Union (ISU) and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), comprising member clubs, collegiate clubs, school-affiliated clubs, and individual members.

USA Athletic Congress (USAAC)

An association that promotes good sportsmanship by recognizing athletes who have excelled within their respective sports, working in conjunction with international federations and national governing bodies to improve sports participation around the world.

USA Gymnastics

The national organization for gymnastics, encouraging participation and excellence and setting the rules and policies that govern gymnastics in the United States.

USA Swimming

The national governing body for swimming in the United States.

USA Volleyball

The national governing body for volleyball in the United States.

Women's Sports Foundations (WSF)

A foundation that advocates for equal opportunity for women in sports, focusing on the psychological, physical, and social benefits of sports participation.

Sports Medicine

Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD)

A forum for medical professionals, coaches, and trainers to exchange ideas pertinent to sports dentistry, as well as for the collection and dissemination of research regarding the prevention and occurrence of dental injuries among athletes.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)

An association of musculoskeletal specialists that provides education and practice management services for orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals, advocates for enhanced patient care, and disseminates orthopedic knowledge to the public.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Sports Medicine & Fitness (COSMF)

A division of the American Academy of Pediatrics, providing educational programs, policy statements, collaborative partnerships, media outreach, advocacy work, and research awards to promote safe physical activity and the highest level of treatment in pediatrics.

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR)

Special Interest Group on Sports Medicine

An academy representing patients with, or at risk for, temporary or permanent disabilities and helping physicians acquire the continuing education, practice knowledge, leadership skills, and research findings needed to provide quality patient care.

American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM)

An academy that helps further the understanding, prevention, and management of lower extremity injuries in sports through professional education, scientific research, public awareness, and membership support.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

An association that promotes healthy lifestyles through the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports-related injuries as well as the advancement of exercise science and the dissemination of research.

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM)

A forum for primary care sports medicine physicians to promote professional relationships and advance the discipline of sports medicine through education, research, advocacy, and quality patient care.

American Optometric Association (AOA) Sports Vision Section (SVS)

An association that is specific to optometric sports vision, striving to advance care through [Page 1647]education, injury prevention, and enhancement of visual performance.

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)

A national organization of orthopedic surgeons committed to sports medicine education, research, communication, and fellowship.

American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine (AOASM)

An educational forum for primary care physicians and health care professionals to attend to the quality of health care, promoting fitness and exercise guidelines and providing a collegial environment to expand the knowledge of sports medicine.

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

A national organization committed to the advancement of physical therapy practice and research, promoting the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of movement dysfunctions and the improvement of the physical health and functional abilities of all members of the public.

British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM)

The oldest sport and exercise medicine association in the United Kingdom (founded in 1953) and the official UK representative to both the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA) and the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), dedicated to the promotion of good health through physical activity and the provision of sports medicine expertise to optimize athletic performance at all levels.

Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine (CASM-ACMS)

An organization of physicians dedicated to the practice of medicine as applied to all aspects of physical activity, including health promotion and disease prevention.

Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA)

A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting injury prevention, emergency services, and rehabilitative techniques for active individuals.

Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA)

An association of physiotherapists, physiotherapy support workers, physiotherapy students, and affiliate members dedicated to advancing the field of physiotherapy and improving the health of all individuals.

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP)

An organization of professionals involved in the scientific study of exercise physiology, exercise biochemistry, fitness, and health.

Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI)

A research and educational facility that studies with scientists around the world the effects of [Page 1648]exercise, the environment, and nutrition on the human body.

International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS)

An international organization dedicated to the study of sports medicine as well as the dissemination of findings to help athletes maximize their potential.

International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery, and Orthopedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS)

An international society that provides a forum for surgeons to advance the exchange and dissemination of information on education, research, and patient care in arthroscopy, knee surgery, and orthopedic sports medicine.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports

A committee whose mission is to provide expertise and leadership to the NCAA to help it promote a healthy and safe environment for student-athletes through research, education, collaboration, and policy development.

Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAHM)

A multidisciplinary organization of health professionals with the common goal of understanding the health needs and concerns of adolescents and enhancing public awareness through education, research, clinical services, and advocacy activities.

Sport Physiotherapy Canada

An organization, founded in 1972, dedicated to providing therapy, rehabilitation, and counseling to athletes before, during, and after injury.