IRISH SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCES ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED AT THE SPORT IRELAND CAMPUS

Dr. Una May, CEO of Sport Ireland officially launches the ISESA

Heading towards Paris 2024, the industry is firmly backing the establishment of this new organization for professionals in sport and exercise science. These are the individuals who are instrumental in driving the success behind the scenes, catering not only to the needs of elite athletes but also to everyday individuals seeking to enhance their exercise regimes.

 Link to Sportsfile  photography. 

Members of the sport and exercise science community gathered today at the Sport Ireland Institute Building at the Sport Ireland Campus to mark the launch of the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association, which should provide a huge boost to the sector.

Chair of the ISESA, Dr. Tom Comyns

ISESA Chairperson, ex-Olympian Tom Comyns, highlighted the strategic objectives of the association, which are to promote evidence-informed practice within the sport and exercise sciences community in Ireland, to facilitate all-island collaborative impact through integrated learning, networking and research initiatives, and to develop accreditation pathways for members.  The development of the new association arose from a meeting of third level institutions, NGBs and the Sport Ireland Institute, where it became evident of the burgeoning growth and professionalisation of the industry, and the need to lead, represent, and advance the sport and exercise sciences community in Ireland for the benefit of all within the sector. 

Speaking at the briefing Tom Comyns commented: “Sport and Exercise Science plays a significant role throughout Ireland, and has the potential to enhance the health, well-being and performance of all individuals, from the recreational participant to the elite athlete.  This organisation is for all who are engaged in this sector, will act as the voice for the sport and exercise science community and is committed to supporting the ongoing professionalisation of the industry.  We are committed to doing this through networking, collaboration, advocacy and accreditation and will represent the community across the island of Ireland.”

The event was well supported by professionals working within the industry and on the Sport Ireland Campus.

Dr Úna May, CEO of Sport Ireland contributed: “The field of Sport and Exercise Science plays a significant role in Ireland, promoting the health, well-being, and performance of all individuals. With the growth in this area, I welcome the establishment of the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association. I hope that the association will have a positive impact on the entire sports industry, from grassroots participation to elite performance.”

Liam Harbison, Director of the Sport Ireland Institute added: “Coming into the Paris 2024 Olympics & Paralympics, Ireland's elite athletes will be supported by a team of expert practitioners across multiple disciplines behind the scenes. The work of Ireland's physiologists, strength and conditioning coaches, psychologists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, medics, performance analysts and other experts will be crucial be for the preparation and performance of Team Ireland at the Games.  As a major contractor of sport science and medical expertise in the Irish high performance sport system, we are delighted to support this independent voice through the establishment of the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association for the sport and exercise science community in Ireland.”

For further information and Media Requests contact: Maeve Buckley

Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association,

e: maeve@leadingsport.agency  

m: +353 86 1582725

Sport and the Economy Facts & Figures:

Health: 97,000 cases of disease in Ireland in 2019 were prevented by participation in sport and

physical activity. The net value of health care and wider costs savings achieved was €0.4bn in 2019. Employment: 64,080 people were employed in sport in Ireland in 2018. Sport-related jobs account for 2.8% of all Irish employment, up from 2.1% in 2008.

Consumer Expenditure: €3.3bn spent by people in Ireland on sport-related goods and services in 2018. Sport made up 3.1% of all consumer expenditure in Ireland in 2018 (up from 2% in 2008). The sport economy has grown faster than the economy as a whole over the last 10 years.

Gross Value Added: €3.7bn (GVA) Total value of sport to the Irish economy in 2018.

Source: Researching the value of sport in Ireland - Sport Ireland and Sheffield Hallam University, September 2021 https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2021-09/vos- report-final-19-07-21.pdf

 

About the IRISH SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCES ASSOCIATION

  • Who are sport and exercise science professionals?  Coming into Paris 2024, these are the people behind the scenes, the ones who make the success happen on the biggest sporting stage. These are the people who support and work with the athletes as physiologists, strength and conditioning experts, sports psychologists, sports nutritionists, sports medics, performance analysts and sports science experts – they are the ones who make for sporting success behind the scenes.  Meanwhile exercise science professionals are the people who make for health success for the ordinary person on the street and could save significant money for the public finances by using exercise for health in a preventative manner.

  • ISESA is a non-profit organisation representing the Sport and Exercise Sciences (SES) community in Ireland.  The ISESA has been set up as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

  • The process to establish the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association (ISESA) began in Spring 2022, driven by representatives from Sport Ireland Institute (SII), the Sport Ireland Institute Professional Accreditation (SIIPA) committee and the University of Limerick (UL), and later joined by representatives from other relevant Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), National Governing Bodies (NGBs), government agencies (Sport Ireland, SII) and Sport Institute Northern Ireland (SINI) and groups representing different disciplines of SES in Ireland, such as Movement and Skill Acquisition Ireland (MSAI), Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) Ireland, and the Irish Strength and Conditioning Network.

  • The group undertook an examination of need and gap that included desk research into the size of the market, a survey amongst the target market and a number of focus groups to explore certain questions in more depth.  This need and gap analysis confirmed for us the already existing need for this association and the likely increasing interest over the coming years.

  • In terms of graduate programmes there are a total of 101 HEI SES-related courses annually delivered on the island of Ireland, whilst there are approximately 2,694 graduates from SES-related programmes on the island of Ireland per annum (not including research postgraduates).  The possible number of graduates over a 5-year period (bearing in mind some of these courses are new) is circa 13,470. 

  • The Vision of ISESA is ‘To enhance the health, well-being and performance of individuals through sport and exercise science’.

  • The Mission of ISESA is ‘To lead, represent and advance the sport and exercise sciences community through advocacy, knowledge exchange, collaboration and accreditation’.

  • Our Core values are Collaboration, Inclusion and Excellence

  • Our Strategic Objectives are to:

    • Establish ISESA as the representative body of members of the sport and exercise science community in Ireland

    • Promote evidence-informed practice within the sport and exercise sciences community in Ireland

    • Facilitate all-island collaborative impact through integrated learning, networking and research initiatives

    • Develop accreditation pathways for members

  • The board of the ISESA comprises of 10 members. There will be a Chair, Deputy Chair and Secretary of the committee. In addition to members from the SES community there are external members with expertise in the areas of Finance and Governance. The composition reflects a 50/50 gender split, adheres to EDI principles, and has representatives from across the disciplines encompassed by both sport science and exercise science.

  • The planned events for 2024 include a mixture of podcasts/ webinars and face-to-face networking events in the areas of Sport Science and Exercise Science.

  • For 2024 the ISESA will not charge the community for membership of the association.  The association intends not to charge for year 1 in order to build numbers and interest in the association.  However, we have plans in place for generating income and building revenue and sustainability from year 2. These sources of income will be generated from membership, conferences, accreditation, workshops, sponsorship and from the careers fair as well as job advertising.

  • It will build its profile (and thus membership and income streams) via the following methods, a number of which are already underway:

    • Online presence – website and social media

    • Industry networking – via Board and Committees

    • Information sessions

    • Launch and calendar of profile building on-line events

    • Membership of international organisation

  • ISESA will be a sister organisation to similar organisations globally and intends to be a member of the International Confederation of Sport and Exercise Science Practice (ICSESP), which has the vision of positively impacting individuals, communities, and countries by advancing the international practice of the sport and exercise sciences.