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As
I think about the "power of a vision" and the work of ASEP, it crossed
my mind what was written by Sculptor Henry Moore wrote, "The secret is
to devote your life to one ambition. Concentrate everything you
know, everything you can summon, to accomplish this one desire."
It seems to me that this quote expresses a truth that isn't fully
understood. That is, the cost is going to be high, especiallly
when everything is devoted to one ambition. Also, there will be
resistance, opposition, and difficulties. But those with passion
are willing to pay the price, and after all:
- Every vision demands a professional identity.
- Every professional must be committed to self-regulation, and
- Every responsible exercise physiologist must commit to professional development.
The ASEP vision is real and future-focused. It is all about seeing exercise physiology as it should be, not as it is!
I believe it was Vince
Lombardi who said, “The joy is in creating, not maintaining.” I agree 100%.
To stay as we have been for decades is “maintaining” only. To create, however, is something altogether
different.
The founding of the American
Society of Exercise Physiologists is directly linked to the ASEP vision; a
vision (in fact) that was created from the willingness to see what was right in
front of us.
A gut feeling that students
were getting the short end of the stick, and that, as exercise physiologists,
we have paid too little attention (because of our lack of professionalism) to
“exercise as medicine.”
Our passion has always been about
something else, which is research! Above all, it is convenient for academic EPs in particular. But, however important research is, it does not address:
- The professional needs of the members.
- The right to control one's body of knowledge, or
- The requirements for:
- Self-regulation
- Standards of practice
- Legislation pertinent to the profession, or
- Control over professional violations
And yet, it is clear that the established healthcare professions
have strongly embraced these essentials for many decades. We have
not and, unfortunately, the public's view of the exercise
physiologist's knowledge and practice is an obstacle to achieving full
professional status.
How many times have you
heard that "exercise is medicine," and we are exercise
physiologists! We must learn to be who we are. We must
learn to take charge of our profession, and we must learn to take
control of exercise as medicine.
Others have gone before us in their professions. Their leadership
had dreams and they set goals, too. We need to understand, as
they had to learn, that "working together" we can fulfill our vision.
Envisioning the future
begins with passion and inspiration that something is worth doing. What’s your vision of the future? It is said that every person has a purpose in
life.
To think about it for a
moment, what do students want from their undergraduate degree? Perhaps, stated somewhat differently:
- Will they be successful with a sports science
degree?
- Do they see themselves as a fitness instructor
or a personal trainer and, if so, is it likely that they will be able to raise
a family, buy a house, and send their children to college on the “fitness
professional” salary?
- Do they see themselves as a “healthcare
professional” – having earned the title, Exercise Physiologist?
I, also, wonder if they ever
think about owning their own Lifestyle Management Clinic for the prevention and
treatment of diseases and disabilities. If
so, are they planning to sit for the EPC exam? I wonder why they aren't more interested in sitting for the EPC exam.
- Is it because the academic EPs have not given their support to the EPC exam?
- If so, what is the problem, especially in the ASEP accredited programs?
- Is it indifference?
- Is it politics?
- If so, is the diversity and emphasis on traditional thinking correct for the 21st century students?
There is a need in asking
these questions. And, other questions need to be asked, too. For example,
- Why didn't my professor talk about ASEP when I was a student?
- Why is it that many jobs don't require the EPC credential?
Of course, what is
not so well appreciated in regards to power and political struggtles
between organizations is this: When power has gone too long in
the wrong direction, it is clear that yesterday's leadership is
obsolete.
For this reason, it is important
to have a clear vision (or purpose) for one’s life.
It is time to:
- Stop surrendering leadership to outside forces.
- Stop surrendering to...
- Frustrations
- Fears
- Fatigue
- Faults, and
- Opposition
- Stop surrendering who we are to self-image perceptions, such as...
- We are small.
- We don't have the support of the big guys, and
- We don't have enough money to get things done.
These are excuses, nothing more! The bottom line is this: If we can't do it one way, then we will do it another way.
One practical effect of a
vision is a sense of stiffening one’s resolve and setting a direction, which brings
us back to several questions:
- What is the value of a vision?
- How does a vision shape what we will be doing in
10 or 20 years?
- As exercise physiologists, do we have it in us
to stay the course, and
- If so, are we willing to continue building
professional infrastructure?
From the ASEP perspective, much like members of the NSCA and their perspective for strength and conditioning, we must
believe that our future lies in our vision. It is our responsibility to serve society as
healthcare professionals, given that “exercise” is medical treatment.
Hence, we cannot ignore our
obligation to the professionalism of exercise physiology. Our vision is an all-powerful statement of
intent and, perhaps, this is one reason why some non-members are uncomfortable
with the ASEP initiatives.
And yet, however distressing it is to
know there are exercise physiologists who disagree with the founding of ASEP
and its vision, it is clear to me that exercise science is not exercise
physiology (as it is true of the degree programs). To continue to believe otherwise cannot help students
who are interested in being an exercise physiologist.
The political philosopher,
John Schaar, of the University
of California said: “The
future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the
present but a place that is created.
Created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to
but one we are creating. The paths to it
are not found but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker
and the destination.”
Translated, this is exactly why
ASEP created the exercise physiology infrastructure of professionalism, why it developed
an accreditation document, a national board certification, standards of
practice, and much more.
All of which is “professional activity” essential
to our success. ASEP is already
successful (even though it is small). It
has done everything it set out to do, even just recently with an entirely new
website and logo (under the direction of our President, Dr. Jesse Pittsley).
If you believe exercise
physiology is in your future, why help us create it? How?
Speak about ASEP, encourage others to join the organization, and tell
everyone why it ASEP accreditation and board certification are important to our
professional development.
If we are willing to share
and support our professional organization, we will avoid sacrificing our
identity in the obvious mediocrity that abounds. It’s up to you to create the future of
exercise physiology. The ASEP “path” is
easy to see.
- New ASEP web site
- Advertisements to enhance career options
- Professional documents
- Electronic journals and newsletters
- Easy to locate membership forms and payment system
The power of a vision is
what makes the impossible possible. But, it must be a clear vision and it must be
“acted” upon. And, thus if we try hard enough we can see a
glimpse of our future (independent from our past thinking).
As an example, prior to
1997, we didn’t have a professional definition of exercise physiology. Now we do:
- “Exercise
Physiology” is the
identification of physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity,
the comprehensive delivery of treatment services concerned with the
analysis, improvement, and maintenance of health and fitness,
rehabilitation of heart disease and other chronic diseases and/or
disabilities, and the professional guidance and counsel of athletes and
others interested in athletics, sports training, and human adaptability to
acute and chronic exercise.
I
believe this definition generates hope, prevides endurance, and
motivates the discouraged, particularly graduates without financial
stability, medical benefits, and respect from their peers.
And, the essence of the definition is to see the future; a better
future where there are credible and financially stable, unified
exercise physiologists who have their own professional organization
that promotes the practice of exercise physiology as a credible public
healthcare profession.
The ASEP vision sprang from
such insight, inspiration, and necessity. ASEP is a big idea. It's potential is beyond what we can imagine right now.
The ASEP vision answers three questions very important questions. They are:
- What the organization wants
to be?
“To be recognized as the leading professional
organization of American scholars and practitioners in the study and
application of exercise physiology to fitness, health promotion, rehabilitation,
and sports training.”
- What
it wants to accomplish?
“The Society of Exercise Physiologists is dedicated to
unifying all exercise physiologists in the United States and worldwide to
promote and support the study, practice, teaching, research, and development of
the exercise physiology profession.”
“Through proactive and
creative leadership, the Society empowers its members to serve the public good
by making an academically sound difference in the application of exercise
physiology concepts and insights.”
The ASEP vision is personal,
and it is organizational-centered.
Living it convincingly is a passionate one, backed by action. I believe it generates hope, provides
endurance, and motivates the discouraged.
The essence of the vision is to see the
future; a better future where there are credible and financially stable,
unified exercise physiologists who have their own professional organization
that promotes the practice of exercise physiology as credible public healthcare
professionals.
There will always be challenges. None of the members of the three Boards would
argue that it has been easy. For those
of you here today, you need to ask yourself the question:
- What is it that you want out of life?”
- Is it a job or a career?
- Is it the opportunity to indulge in self-serving activities?
- Or, is it to serve – your colleagues, your profession, and the
public sector?
Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson said, “To be what we
are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of
life.” Nearly all people would like to
become who they are capable of being, yet many people don’t.
One reason is that they don’t take responsibility for
their own growth. Why not share the
vision with your colleagues and students?
In the long run, it is your persistence and courage that ensures the
future of exercise physiology.
Uniqueness fosters
pride. For certain, ASEP is unique. It isn’t just another organization. It’s “your” professional organization!
When you understand, accept,
and commit to the vision, your organization’s ability to reach its potential
will soar. Individually and
collectively, we will better picture the future, hear it, sense it, recognize
it, and live it.
It may take 20 or 40 years to become everything we
want to be. It is the same with all other
healthcare professions.
The heart of professionalism requires the
understanding that, “No one has eaten an elephant in one bite.” It takes time to grow, but let us remember
that the value of something is determined by how rare it is – pearls, diamonds,
gold, oil and, similarly, why not board certified exercise physiologists!
Time is on our side and, equally important, there is
no value in mass-producing exercise physiologists. Hence, no matter how small ASEP is today, if
you believe in it, you will create what no one else has done.
You will be known for your contribution. No matter what else you will do in life, your
contribution can and will make a difference in the lives of others, both in and
outside of exercise physiology.
Remember, it is always better to make a decision that
will prove to be wrong, but which you can learn from, than not to make any
decision at all and never learn anything.
Thus, the bottom line: “If you
are making mistakes, you can’t succeed.”
Stay focus regardless; it doesn’t matter how young or
old you are. The vision itself will stir
you to act, to find those who will help, and how to deal with opposition,
especially statements such as:
- You can’t do that.
- You don’t have enough education.
- You’re too young.
- You don’t have the right background.
- You don’t have the right connections.
Aside from believing that “every opposition
strengthens us rather than stopping us…” -- my response to the critics is
this:
- Disassociate from colleagues with negative thinking. This is an important priority. They cannot help you. They can hurt you. Do not be afraid to ignore the critics
and keep on acting in accordance with the ASEP vision.
- Associate with colleagues who have the same philosophy and
discipline that you do, people who exhibit the kind of concerns for
students and exercise physiology that you do. Spend time with colleagues with the ASEP
vision; those who will encourage you and help you during the hard times.
Do not worry about the future. There will always be challenges and
pressures. When you find your purpose
with ASEP, then, when trouble comes, you (too) will smile and say, “This won’t
last.
And, when you draw on strength from your ASEP
colleagues, you will have the strength of many.
Keep the ASEP vision before your mind’s eye, in your heart, and
remember, destiny demands diligence.
It is just a matter of time before we remove the
incompetent or non-exercise physiologist from our practice and, therefore, as
other healthcare professions do today, say to the world: “Exercise belongs to us!”
Until then, we must police our own ranks to
ensure accountability, credibility, and ethical behavior. The latter point is particularly important, given
that there is an inescapable ethical dimension in any profession.
The ASEP Code of Ethics is one of the most
visible parts of the offer of our commitment exercise physiologists to society.
So, in summary, let us agree that support ASEP vision.
- That we represent exercise physiology.
- That we are responsible for promoting the professionalism in exercise physiology.
- That we are committed to communicating with others our desire for the success of our students.
Today, as we begin the journey, let us learn to trust
our inner voice that we are going the right things for the right
reasons (i.e., the professional development of exercise
physiology). True professionalism is not without work. It
is tough business. Have fun.