On November 7th 2023, the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association (ISESA) was launched on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. The ISESA is the representative body for the Sport and Exercise Sciences community in Ireland.
The association aims to be an all-island non-profit organisation. The launch was the accumulation of 12 months work by a working group to develop what was a concept of an association. There is critical mass within Ireland for such an association so the timing to develop an association was more than apt. This working group consisted of representatives from the Higher Education Institutions, National Governing Bodies of Sport and relevant sporting organisations and bodies in Ireland.
The vision of the ISESA is to enhance the health, well-being and performance of individuals through sport and exercise sciences. The ISESA’s mission is to lead, represent and advance the sport and exercise sciences community through advocacy, knowledge exchange, collaboration and accreditation. The strategic objectives centre around professional learning, knowledge exchange, networking, promoting evidence-informed practice and developing accreditation pathways for members. Collaboration, inclusion and excellence form the core values of the association. The ISESA has also become an Associate Member of the International Confederation of Sport and Exercise Science Practice (https://icsesp.global/) which is the international body representing and supporting national sport and exercise science associations.
The Board of Directors of the ISESA includes representatives from both sport science and exercise science and is representative of the various stakeholders. The Chair is Dr Tom Comyns from UL and the Vice-Chair is Dr SarahJane Cullen. Speaking at the launch of the ISESA 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 CEO of Sport Ireland, Dr Úna May, launched the association and commented: “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.”
The ISESA have commenced some of their initial initiatives in order to realise their objectives. These include the ISESA Podcast Series and the ISESA Webinar Series. Details on both and on further developments can be found on the ISESA website, https://www.isesa.ie/. You can also follow any of the development of the ISESA on their social media channels @IrishSESA
Dr. Tom Comyns is an Associate Professor for Human Movement Science and Strength and Conditioning and is the Inaugural Chair of the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association.
Contact: tom.comyns@ul.ie. Follow on X: @comyns_tommy
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