# International Sports Sciences Association

The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is an organization that operates as an education and certification company for fitness trainers, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, nutrition coaches, and aerobic instructors.
Instruction is based on exercise assessment, nutritional planning, fitness instruction, sports medicine practice, and post-rehabilitation training. The school has enrolled over 300,000 students in its fitness education and continuing education courses.

## History

The International Sports Sciences Association was founded in 1988, when, "recognizing the need for standardization and credibility, Dr. Sal Arria and Dr. Frederick Hatfield created a personal fitness training program to merge gym experience with practical and applied sciences." The ISSA became a Provisional Affiliate of the National Board of Fitness Examiners in 2004.
In 2009, the ISSA became the first fitness organization to earn accreditation by a federally recognized accrediting agency—the Distance Education and Training Council (an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation).
As a result, the ISSA was added to the list of GI Jobs' Military Friendly Schools in 2010, being approved by the Department of Defense for the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support to accept U.S. Armed Forces Tuition Assistance and the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Financial Assistance program.
In 2019, Andrew Wyant joined ISSA as its president and CEO and led it to a 126% growth rate and a place in the Inc 5000 list. In 2021, ISSA was acquired by Tailwind Capital in a transaction advised by Harris Williams. In 2022, under Wyant's leadership, ISSA was ranked within the top twenty Best Places to Work in 2022 by the Phoenix Business Journal.

## Divisions

* Public Division: no restrictions, open to current students, current members, and the general public.
** Primary function: to encourage enrollment in ISSA education programs...[and] provide information via articles and links on health and fitness.
* Education Division: access restricted to students enrolled in ISSA education courses, and ISSA certified members in good standing.
** Primary function: to provide specialized education in health and fitness.
* Professional Division: Exam access for ISSA students qualified to sit for final exam, full access for ISSA certified members in good standing.
** Primary function: To administer final exams, issue certifications, [and] oversee maintenance of professional status.

## Accreditation and affiliations

The ISSA is approved by the New York Chiropractic College for Postgraduate and Continuing Education. The ISSA is also a Provisional Affiliate of the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NFBE).

### Affiliation with U.S. service members

The ISSA is recognized by the Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support (DANTES) as a Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Program for Military Service Members. It is also approved for Armed Forces Tuition Assistance and Military Spouse Financial Assistance. "The ISSA is also GI Bill approved by the Bureau for Private and Postsecondary Vocational Education (BPPVE) under contract with the Veterans Administration. Active military, veterans, and eligible spouses and dependents can receive reimbursement from the Veterans Administration for testing fees for any ISSA fitness certification courses."