Written by: Dr. Trevor Cottrell, PhD, CSCP

The CSCA has initiated phase one of the installment of their new Canadian Strength and Conditioning Professional (CSCP) credential with the acceptance of Legacy applicants from our existing practicing professionals. The creation of this credential is the result of a significant amount of consultation with stakeholders and is an important step in increasing the credibility and quality control within the strength and conditioning industry in Canada.

Worldwide there are numerous strength and conditioning certifications with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential being considered as the most prevalent. Several professional associations have specializations in strength and conditioning as add-ons to personal training certifications and generally involve some sort of training modules and an exam. The Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCCa) has a more robust certification process that combines learning modules with written and practical examination but is not well-recognized in Canada and difficult to access. There are then the numerous international certifications (UKSCA, ASCA) that are well structured, but not very accessible to Canadians or well recognized in hiring processes.

The CSCS is commonly accepted as the required standard for application to strength and conditioning coaching positions in Canada. Although the NSCA has done an excellent job in building recognition and competency of practice in our industry, the CSCS has been widely criticized as only a minimum standard for entry into the profession, and it is not seen as sufficient to screen professionals capable of working in traditional collegiate or high performance settings.

The NSCA has recognized the challenges related to quality control for their certifications and has chosen to improve the development of strength and conditioning professionals by placing the burden of preparation on academic institutions. To facilitate this, they have created the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE) accreditation process.

CASCE is an accreditation process that colleges and universities must participate in, in order to graduate individuals eligible for sitting for the CSCS exam. It is a similar accreditation process that you will find for other professions such as Athletic Therapy and Nursing. The process is extensive and comprehensive, and requires institutions to hire specialists, create learning concentrations, and build capital structures to aid in the delivery of these programs.

Exercise Science and Kinesiology programs throughout the United States are now making the determination as to the return on investment for implementing the CASCE accreditation requirements. It is a decision not to be taken lightly as the costs and personnel investment are significant. Fortunately, many schools currently have focused learning pathways in strength and conditioning and are able to make this transition with modest effort. Many other institutions, however, do not have the existing expertise and infrastructure necessary to meet the CASCE requirements, and as a result will not be able to graduate students who qualify for the CSCS certification.

The majority of Canadian universities offering kinesiology-equivalent degrees do not have the staff, curriculum, or existing operational structure to qualify for CASCE accreditation. The investment in capital and personnel to make this accreditation possible is generally beyond the capacity of these programs. The barriers to entry are significant.

As a result, in Canada, the CSCS is not going to be available to new graduates of kinesiology programs beyond 2030. This poses a threat to our profession, which the CSCA has recognized and has responded to by creating the CSCP pathway.

The CSCP recognizes those currently practicing as strength and conditioning coaches through their Legacy application program. The Legacy accredited CSCP coaches will then become eligible to mentor the New Professional applicants from undergraduate programs across the nation. The New Professional accreditation is scheduled to launched in early 2025.

In the next five years there will be a shift in hiring away from the CSCS to the CSCP credential. As a result, it is important that existing Canadian coaches take the time to become familiar with the CSCP application pathways and make it a priority to become Legacy certified so they will be included in the mentoring pool for developing New Professionals.

In the next five years it is expected that employers will gradually shift from the CSCS requirement to the CSCP requirement for application for employment in high performance and collegiate settings. Other employers will follow thereafter.

As has been recently announced, the partnership agreement between the CSCA and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) will offer pathways for credentialling in the sport science profession. New professionals in the strength and conditioning industry will be encouraged to combine CSEP and CSCA certifications, with the bridge between the two being the High Performance Specialisation (HPS™) examination (Figure 1). The joint CSEP-CEP and CSCP credential will become the entry standard for sports scientists in the high performance sector.

With time, the pathway to working as a strength and conditioning professional in Canada will become more defined. With the new CSCP credential, and CSEP partnership, employers will have an accreditation pathway that is recognized and accessible. Although existing CSCS certified individuals will be eligible to retain their credential, over time, it will become less recognized in Canada. It is therefore important that current and future strength and conditioning coaches start familiarizing themselves with the CSCP accreditation pathways and accumulating the requirements for becoming certified.

To learn more about the CSCP credential visit the website here:

https://canadianstrengthca.com/accreditation/

Figure 1: The CSCP credential can be accessed through three pathways. The Legacy pathway is for those currently practicing as strength and conditioning professionals. The New Professional pathway can be accessed with existing CSEP certifications or directly by writing the HPS exam.

About the author

Dr. Trevor Cottrell is the sitting President of the CSCA and a professor of Kinesiology and Health Promotion at Sheridan College. He has practiced as a strength and conditioning coach for over 30 years and owns and operates LIFT Fitness and Performance in Guelph, Ontario.