President’s Message

Website and ACBSP™…. ACA™ Sports Council …. FICS™

You may have noticed a new website for the ACBSP™. If not, you need to check it out. The website committee of Alicia Oswald, Kevin Bradley and Todd Narson worked with our Executive Director Cindy Hayter and webmaster Jay Ferguson at Xtomic to deliver your desires. This website is a lot easier because it has an actual search feature; it allows you to move through drop down screens without opening multiple tabs and most importantly it will allow you to update your practice information. 

The website is a work in progress.

Jay is currently developing the function of allowing active certificants to update specific practice information such as practice name, practice address and website address.  Once the functionality is in place, an email will be sent to all active certificants with login instructions. Certain items are set in stone and must be handled by the national office such as: CCSP® vs DACBSP®, certificate numbers, certificate dates and active/ inactive. More information will be coming on this feature, so remember to check your emails.

Thank you to everyone who completed the DACBSP® Job Analysis. This necessary tool enables the ACBSP™ to provide accurate testing to validate your credentials. What do we mean by this? Your credentials are important when working events in the United States. It ensures there is a minimal competency met when a CCSP® or DACBSP® comes to work an event. 

The question comes up frequently as to why there are three sports groups covering sports chiropractic – the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians™ (ACBSP™), ACA™ Sports Council™ (ACA™ Sports Council) and Fédération Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport™ (FICS™) To help you understand the purpose of each group and why each necessarily exists, here is an explanation:

The ACBSP™ is the only national certifying body for sports chiropractic in the United States. It is not an organization you join. You are either certified or you are not. You take the necessary coursework, meet the requirements by passing written examinations, complete on-field hours and take practical examinations depending on if you choose to become a CCSP® or a DACBSP®. You pay annual certification fees, maintain a current CPR and meet the annual CEU requirement of 12 for CCSP® or 24 for DACBSP®. If you choose to surrender your trademarked letters, you are no longer certified by the ACBSP™ and can no longer use or display the CCSP® or DACBSP® marks. 

The ACA™ Sports Council is the sports chiropractic division of the American Chiropractic Association™. You are not required to have a CCSP® or DACBSP® to belong. There is a requirement that you must be an ACA™ member also when joining the ACA™ Sports Council. Several CCSPs® and DACBSPs® belong to the ACA™ Sports Council. The only sports certifications the American Chiropractic Association™ (ACA) recognizes in the United States are the CCSP® and the DACBSP®.  The ACA™ Sports Council is a valuable organization providing many opportunities for those with interest in sports chiropractic to work in the field. There are student groups at each chiropractic college who enjoy the experience of working events with the doctors of the ACA™ Sports Council. A professional and educational trade/member organization for active chiropractors, the ACA™ Sports Council is committed to improving and promoting chiropractic treatment of athletes. By working with athletic organizations and allied health professionals there is a better understanding of the value of sports chiropractic care.

FICS™ is the sports chiropractic division who broadens the scope of sports chiropractic outside of the United States. With a worldwide membership, FICS™ strives to provide equitable access to sports chiropractic care, education, mentoring, and research to all athletes and sports chiropractors regionally, nationally, and internationally. FICS™ maintains relationships with international sporting federations, and educational institutions with chiropractic programs across the globe. Many international events are offered as experiences to share sports chiropractic with athletes of various nations. FICS™ promotes an international certificate in sports chiropractic (ICSC); they require this certification to work their international events. This is not related to the ACBSP™, CCSP® or DACBSP®. FICS™ does provide advanced placement for their international certification to those who hold a current CCSP® or DACBSP® certification. 

Each year meetings are held between ACBSP™, ACA™ Sports Council and FICS™ to ensure we all work as a team promoting the best care given to athletes in the world.

Anyone with interest to work in the specialty field of sports chiropractic in the USA should be encouraged to take the ACBSP™ certification exams as it makes our specialty field of sports chiropractic stronger for everyone – doctors, athletes, parents, coaches, etc.

Anne

Website….Practical Exam….DACBSP Job Analysis….Concussion Course….Covid words…. and a Hearty Welcome! Written Exam check done!

Here is the May update:  

     We have a new website! We thank web developer Jay Ferguson at Xtomic for creating a new and improved website for the ACBSP™. User friendly, faster, better search-ability for the entire website including the directory, less clicking to find things and several other exciting changes – you asked for it and you now have it! It will launch Monday, 31 May 2021. Do not crash it with your excitement of everybody logging in at once!

     The DACSBP® practical exam will be administered in Dallas, Texas, 25-26 June 2021 at Parker University. There are specific COVID-19 protocols in place. Please read them to ensure your eligibility for the testing procedure. Registration has closed.

     It’s that time again – time for the DACBSP® Job Analysis. Yes, it can be tedious to review what you do as a diplomate, but this ensures a fair test plan and testing process for future DACBSP®s. Since testing is what we do, we’d like to get it right. The goal is to test new candidates on the current research and practice methods being used. The JA is the only way to evaluate this. It’s only once every 5 years. Please take the time to complete this survey. It will take you some time, so get some coffee or a glass of wine, settle in and help validate the field of sports chiropractic. The Job Analysis will go out on Monday, May 31st. Please complete this by Wednesday, June 16th.

     If you attended the symposium, you paid for the concussion course and received an access link. Please do NOT forget to take the course. The deadline for completion is July 31, 2021. Do not forget and let your money go to waste! Update yourself on the current concussion protocols and research behind the rationales. Remember you will receive state CEUs only until the deadline.

     Speaking of symposium…wasn’t it great? So many of you sent incredibly positive reviews and we thank you all for sharing. Virtual can never replace live, in person, but many of you felt the value and commented that you felt there was much you could take to work the next day. Dr. Melissa Nagare did an outstanding job handling the technology involved in the presentation. Congratulate her – she has been awarded the President’s Award for Outstanding Service for her role in making the virtual symposium exist!

     So many of you played the symposium COVID word game. There were 12 words. The names of everyone who listed them correctly was put into a hat and the winner of a free CPR recert at the next live symposium is……. Dr. Tamera Tolson!Congratulations!

     The CCSP® and DACSBP® written examination results are out! Congratulations to all new CCSPs and DACBSPs who have completed the first or final step! They will be listed on the website soon.

     And finally, a hearty welcome to Michelle Burch! Michelle will be joining the ACBSP™ home office as our new full time Administrative Assistant. Michelle is a resident of Colorado Springs and started at the national office Tuesday, May 18th. 

     The ACBSP™ is working to make the specialty field of sports chiropractic stronger through solid testing and increasing public awareness to sports chiropractic. Grow with us!

THIS MESSAGE IS ABOUT THE 
ACBSP™ CHIROPRACTIC SPORTS SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM!
With a little about the Written Exam 
And a little more about the Practical exam
And a small mention of the upcoming website
Be excited… Things Be Happening

Here is the April update:

We have a symposium next weekend! We have speakers! We have Abstract Awards! We have a SCOTY! Wait…we have 2 SCOTYs – 2020 and 2021! The symposium committee of Rachel Bryant, Matt Hartsburg, Tyler Infield and Tom Young have worked hard to bring the most up-to-date information from the best speakers, who are old and new friends to the party. We thank Melissa Nagare and Brent McGahey for bringing the technology needed to present this fabulous show!

Danged COVID! There, I’ve said it.

As a result, we couldn’t get together in person and that’s what we do. But we also value knowledge—another thing we do. So, we are bringing you the updates you need to stay ahead of the game!

The 2021 ACBSP™ Chiropractic Sports Sciences Symposium will kick off (login starts) at 9:00am MST (mountain time) both 24 and 25 April, Saturday and Sunday. After a short president’s message, presentations begin at 9:30am MST; be sure you are logged in early. Presentations end at 5:00pm MST each day.

• Dale Buchberger (old friend) is the Saturday morning lead-off batter as he reminds you that an orthopedic test on a 25-year-old means something entirely different on a 60-year-old.
• Jim Eubanks, DC, MD (new) is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Jim will show you when it is time to surrender and refer those tough cases, and when you should press on with what you are doing in sports chiropractic, as this is YOUR CASE to fix! Jim was a DC who returned to medical school to gain knowledge from both perspectives.
• Is your energy down? Megan Chacosky (new) helps you navigate RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). A Registered Dietitian, Megan gives you tips for your athletes but also tips to help with YOUR training!
• LUNCH-ish: Do NOT take a walk UNTIL after the 3 Abstract Awards and 2020 SCOTY presentation!

After lunch, we meet a personal friend of mine:

• Walt Stoy (new to you). Walt will update you on the changes in E-med and the changes in oxygen administration (yup, you do not always get O2 anymore).
• Mary Collings, (new speaker and old friend) the first SCOTY recipient for the ACBSP™, will share working in the professional sports world in Crossing the Blue Line. Mary was the first sports chiro EVER to have a professional sports gig!

Saturday will end with another personal friend:

• Casey Hummel (new). Casey will explain FDM, Fascial Distortion Model, the missing puzzle piece to your soft tissue work.

Take a breather! Zoom with friends. Enjoy your Saturday night….

Return Sunday morning for round 2:

• Pat Helma (new and old) will wake us with morning exercises at 9:30am, making your back line quake as you activate muscles that have been dormant for years!
• Aimee Kimball (new) will help protect YOUR mental health and that of your athletes’ during these times that have become so “interesting?”.
• Tom Young (new) will teach you Sideline Documentation; be ready when events re-open.
• LUNCH-ish: Again, do not leave! STAY a few more minutes! We have 3 Abstract Awards and the 2021 SCOTY presentation!

After lunch, coming into the home stretch:

• Andy Klein (old, not really old, just old friend) shows you how to progress and regress exercises.
• Steve Gould (new) takes you through sports x-ray as you’ve never been! Steve’s presentation is 2 hours, but I’m confident he will give you a break.

JOIN US at the 2021 ACBSP™ CHIROPRACTIC SPORTS SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM Saturday and Sunday, 24-25 April for this great weekend full of updates, fun and true sports education! Go to acbsp.com to register. You can check out speaker bios on the website. Here is the link.

Imagine all of the sports chiropractors being up to date on concussion at the same time! It was with this in mind that 12 additional CEU hours became part of the symposium package. This is offered online as the concussion course through the ACBSP™ website (known as asynchronous learning). You will have until July 31st to complete the additional 12 hours for state CEUs. Those who have taken the concussion course since September 2020 have already received an email with additional information. Contact the national office, if needed.*

The next CCSP® and DACSBP® written examinations will be administered through computer-based testing on Saturday, 1 May 2021. Registration is closed for these exams. Practice tests are being set up. If you have not set up your practice test, please email/contact Cindy. Your patience is truly appreciated as she receives up to 300 emails a day and will respond as soon as possible. Remember, Google Chromebooks do not work for testing; have another option for the practice and actual tests. Most important: Send your positive thoughts to the candidates testing!

The DACSBP® practical exam has been scheduled. The test will be administered in Dallas, Texas, 25-26 June 2021 at Parker University. Registration is open and further information is available on the ACBSP™ website. There are specific COVID-19 protocols in place. Please read them to ensure your eligibility for the testing procedure. If you email Cindy with questions, please refer to the note in the preceding paragraph.

Congratulations to our newest board of directors! Drs. Joel Dekanich and Bill Moreau were elected to serve the next terms of office—July 2021- June 2024.

The new website is almost here. Stay tuned for a special announcement on this.

The ACBSP™ is working to make the specialty field of sports chiropractic stronger through solid testing and increasing public awareness of the sports chiropractic!