About the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

Our Vision

Connect 100M people to the power of healthy living by 2030.

Our Mission

Bring healthy living to everybody in the world through education and community.

Core Values:

Prioritize Personal Connection

• We serve others.
• We provide exceptional service.
• We build solid relationships.

Enjoy the Drive

• We collaborate.
• We focus on solutions not problems.
• We work step-by-step ferociously.

Live and Share Wellness

• We promote healthy living.
• We have a reciprocal relationship with wellness.
• We actively pursue work / life synergy.

We Are All In

• We set goals to accomplish our mission of changing lives.
• We hold ourselves and each other accountable to show up and put the work in.
• We "Get It Done".

Affiliations

Health and Fitness Association

The Health and Fitness Association is a trade association serving the global health club and fitness industry. Its mission is to grow, promote, and protect the health and fitness industry, and to provide its members with the benefits that will help them be more successful. The association and its members—health and fitness clubs, gyms, studios, sports and aquatic facilities, and industry partners—are dedicated to making the world healthier through regular exercise.

Yoga Alliance

Yoga Alliance is the leading authority on yoga standards and credentialing, responsible for upholding ethics in yoga instruction and course framework to ensure safe, high-quality, accessible and equitable yoga teaching. It is the largest non-profit organization representing the yoga community.

ISSA’s Yoga 200 course is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School (RYS-200), which meets the elevated standards of the Yoga Alliance. Students who complete ISSA’s Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200).

NBFE Provisional Affiliate

The National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure to the public that qualified fitness professionals who have successfully passed the National Board examination have achieved an approved level of competency in the health and fitness industry. The NBFE promotes the services of qualified fitness professionals as a viable means of improving public health.

CAPPS

Since 1985 the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools has worked with the State's Governors, Legislature, elected officials and the numerous regulatory agencies to promote high quality education.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau's mission is to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence.

ISSA Timeline

  • 1988 — The International Sports Sciences Association

The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is formed by a team of renowned fitness experts to stem the tide of physical decline. ISSA is founded with the mission of increasing the fitness of the people on our planet by helping more fitness professionals enjoy a successful career in fitness.

  • 1990

ISSA launches Weekend Educational Workshops.

  • 1992

The ISSA becomes the first fitness certification organization to mandate continuing education.

  • 1994

The ISSA sees the educational and information sharing potential and power of the Internet and launches its first online site at ISSA-USA.

  • Summer 1995

ISSA launches ProTrainer Online Magazine.

  • Fall 1995

Specialist in Performance Nutrition Course is launched.

  • 1996

Strength & Conditioning Course is launched.

  • 1997

Youth Fitness Trainer Course is launched.

  • 1998

ISSA celebrates its 10-year anniversary.

  • 1998

Specialist in Senior Fitness Course is launched.

  • 2002

Certified Fitness Trainer final examination is offered online.

  • Summer 2005

ISSA becomes a Provisional Affiliate of National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE).

  • 2005

8th edition of ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer is launched.

  • Summer 2006

ISSA earns an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

  • March 2008

3D Exercise Lab is launched.

  • 2008

ISSA celebrates its 20-year anniversary.

  • June 2009

ISSA launches new Specialist Fitness Nutrition course authored by John Berardi.

  • November 2010

ISSA launches 10 week Guided Study On Track lecture and audio series.

  • April 2011

ISSA begins offering Members Free Professional Website for business purposes.

  • June 2011

ISSA Launches Public Division For the Health of It monthly newsletter.

  • November 2011

ISSA earns full Affiliate status with the NBFE.

  • 2012

ISSA launches Thank a Vet — Hire a Vet national campaign.

  • 2013

Champions Youth Fitness teams up with KidShape 2.0 and ISSA to boost youth fitness.

  • 2015

ISSA busts the myth that one-size-fits-all diets work.

  • 2016

Huffington Post names ISSA one of the top Personal Training Certifications in America.

  • 2015

ISSA busts the myth that one-size-fits-all diets work.

  • 2018

Andrew Wyant, former National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) president, becomes President and CEO of ISSA. The global leader in fitness and nutrition education shapes ISSA's new headquarters in Arizona.

  • 2019

ISSA launches first certification for DNA-Based fitness training programs.

  • 2019

Rich Brown joins ISSA from Digital Air Strike as the new CIO.

  • 2019

ISSA releases Fitness Certification Program tailored to military veterans and their families looking to make fitness training a career.

  • 2019

Rachael Cordova joins ISSA from Manifest as the new CFO.

  • 2019

ISSA launches partnership with leading online fitness and allied healthcare professionals organization, MedFit Network and MedFit Education Foundation.

  • 2019

DNA-Based Fitness Coach program is launched.

  • 2020

The National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT) is acquired, allowing ISSA to significantly expand its accredited certification offerings.

  • 2020

Yoga Certification course is launched.

  • 2020

Weight Management Instructor course is launched.

  • 2020

Powerlifting Instructor course is launched.

  • 2020

Online Coaching Certification course is launched.

  • 2020

Lifespan Coach Certification course is launched.

  • February 2021

ISSA Launches Certified Indoor Cycling Instructor Course.

  • March 2022

Tailwind Capital Acquires ISSA to Build the Leading eLearning Platform for the Fitness & Wellness Industry.

  • August 2023

ISSA Ranked in Inc. 5000 annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.