Enjoy the read, it's a spooky ride ahead...
I recently was asked to interview for a strength and conditioning position working with a local physical therapist coaching hockey players. Why a physical therapist attracts that type of business from teams/coaches is a conundrum already but I figured I'd check it out.
The conversation started fine, we spoke about my previous experiences working with athletes and my education/certs. She asked me how I felt about the industry as a whole and I was honest. It stinks all over. I mentioned not once encountering anyone who has failed a crossfit cert, how the NSCA's "Journal of S&C Research" is cranking out embarrassing articles such as "what creates more abdominal muscle contraction: Single hand or two-hand kettlebell swings," or that 99% of my former exercise science classmates I wouldn't let train anyone I know.
She sat and agreed with me and then told me about the push in the PT realm: "To hopefully some day have a licensing program for personal trainers that the physical therapy community would have their hand in and it would hopefully include needing a bachelors in exercise science to be a personal trainer."
I told her that is a terrible plan, I trust my own clients I have coached over the years over anyone now adays with their exercise science degree. If they could actually get that to work Rippetoe would be considered unqualified to train people. Wtf? I sat through her telling me about how to train hockey players while never once mentioning anything to do with strength training but mostly interval training on a fucking turf field(lol), about her own career as a recreational running athlete, and how she trains a lot with TRX suspension stuff.
Spooky stuff, and she wants to dictate how we train people.
Lastly I wanted to say that I have learned absolutely nothing over the last 3 years from the NSCA but find myself reading everything Rip/SS posts on here or the facebook page and can say I learn something probably every single time. I don't know when but I plan to put my name behind the SSC cert because just from the stuff you publish alone I feel like I owe you something and would love to drop the NSCA because the more serious coaches who leave the NSCA, the better.
-Mike
Politics, the means by which the strong are ruled by their inferiors...
politics - the means by which the weak can rule the strong...
Doubleposts: the means by which noobs show their impatience.
By this definition, Physical Therapy is masterful politics.
And the truth reveals itself: as a shit sandwich.
Reposted for emphasis. This brand of licensure is particularly egregious. As little justification as there is for licensure, there is even less for licensure run by physical therapists, who specialize in people with physical disabilities. That's the shit sandwich that DC was about to bite into before Crossfit did a full court press on their city council. Would have been terrible for the city.
I think this particular PT is talking out of her ass. I know of no push by the APTA to do such a thing. The APTA only has about 15% of licensed physical therapists as due paying members. The lobby for physical therapy is more focused on gaining direct access and not letting the chiropractic lobby convince lawmakers to take away our ability to do spinal manipulations. Our professional organization is shit, and they have no political clout at all. This suggestion by this PT is straight out of neverland.