The American College of Sports Medicine has been on a long journey that has now reached 70 years. We are grateful to our founders, leaders, past presidents and thousands of volunteers who went before us. They were pioneers who broke new ground, fought through adversity, set high standards and built the foundation for the organization we enjoy being a part of today.
Our founders would agree that, while our past is critically important, the future is even more so. Although my year as ACSM president has been just one step in our journey, it has been historically distinctive as we prepared for and transition into our next 70 years!
We developed and implemented a new, three-year strategic plan that will guide us boldly into the future. Led by a fresh and inspiring vision and mission statement, our new plan focuses on five bold goals ensuring customer value, the promotion of excellence in science, fiscal responsibility, effective governance, and enhanced technology and infrastructure. More than 3,000 members and certified professionals helped influence our plan, and I applaud our Strategic Planning Committee members for their exceptional leadership throughout this critical process.
To support our strategic direction and position ACSM for a successful future, we also introduced a comprehensive rebrand of the organization. Our new brand positioning leverages our vision and mission to tell ACSM’s story of our commitment to movement for all built on science, medicine, and health and fitness. The launch of our new brand was the culmination of three years of research and development, including direct input and engagement from more than 300 ACSM members, certified professionals and volunteer leaders representing all segments of the organization.
A central focus of my presidency has been youth fitness because health begins with our children. Unfortunately, childhood obesity has tripled over the past 50 years. By adolescence, almost half of children have had one chronic health issue and 25% have two or more. We are attacking this challenge head on. I appointed a Task Force on Youth Fitness that is comprised of talented members from all sectors within ACSM who are passionate about this topic. The task force has worked diligently on key recommendations regarding the publication of position stands and calls to action, the unification of youth fitness efforts within ACSM, leveraging external ACSM partners in this space, education of stake holders and a public relations campaign to raise awareness of the importance of youth activity.
We continued our work to advance science through ACSM’s six exceptional scholarly journals. Leadership means taking on the hot topics of today and the future, and we did so by publishing a consensus statement on the biological basis of sex differences in athletic performance, a call to action on substance use disorder, and a round table statement on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
You can learn much more about our accomplishments and how we are leaning into the future by reading this year’s annual report.
In closing, let me say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your ACSM president. I am grateful you have entrusted your faith in me to carry on the legacy of those who came before me. I am so appreciative for what we have been able to achieve together. I truly believe the future of ACSM is bright, and I am excited about where we are headed and the impact we will have on the lives around us.
Warm Regards,
Irene S. Davis, Ph.D., FACSM
ACSM President 2023-24
Dear ACSM members, certified professionals, partners, friends, and supporters,
As we reflect on 2023 and wish ACSM a happy 70th birthday in 2024, it is a great honor and privilege to share with you just a few of ACSM’s collective accomplishments from the past year. None of these achievements would have been possible without the unwavering commitment, leadership and tireless efforts of ACSM’s Board of Trustees, hundreds of volunteer leaders and the exceptional staff team. Focused on supporting ACSM’s members, certifieds and all those we serve, these groups have worked tirelessly to advance ACSM’s bold, new mission: to educate and empower professionals in advancing the science and practice of health and human performance.
In 2023, ACSM accomplished the following:
Our collective efforts are intended to resonate across the diverse domains our members represent – from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside, from the sports courtside to the community gym or parkside. I encourage each of you to review the 2023 annual report and delve deeper into how ACSM’s distinguished past informs and drives our promising future.
With sincere gratitude,
Katie Feltman, CAE
Interim CEO/COO
Focusing on physician residents and fellows, ACSM introduced the Emerging Physician Leaders Program to promote early, meaningful association with the college and a clear path toward ACSM fellowship through mentorship. Twenty-seven mentors and mentees are participating in the three-year pilot program.
In 2022/2023, all of ACSM’s journals’ covers were redesigned through collaboration between ACSM’s marketing & design team, the ACSM Editorial Services Office and the journals’ editors-in-chief. See the new covers below!
Click on the cover to learn more.
Click on cover to learn more.
Physical Activity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease | Roundtable
In collaboration with the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals (CREP) and Physical Activity Alliance (PAA), the US Registry of Exercise Professionals (USREPS) was adopted as the clear clearinghouse for qualified practitioners for the National Healthcare Directory Exchange, marking a significant milestone toward exercise/physical activity reimbursement efforts; USREPS was included withing the new military sector of the National Physical Activity Plan.
In December 2023 ACSM launched a new monthly advocacy newsletter that is sent to all ASCM members, certified professionals and those who opt-in to receive communications from ACSM.
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