The NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) has decided to censor Mike Boyle by uninviting him from their recent conference as a speaker.
He gives 3 reasons for why this might be the case.
1- My views on lower body training and aerobic conditioning are frowned on by members of the selection committee. I really hope this is not the reason. This would be the highest degree of censorship.
2- I have openly criticized the NSCA on my website. Guilty as charged. I did write a strengthcoach.com forum post critical of the certification processs and I stand by what I said. ” the NSCA certification test is the opinion of certain members of the NSCA committee. If you want to pass, simply study the answers in the book”. The NSCA certification also lacks any practical experience component allowing anyone to be a CSCS with no actual on-the-floor experience. I have said that before and I will say it again as it is true. I also stated “The NSCA’s primary method of revenue generation is through the selling of certification”. Does the NSCA have another major revenue method I am unaware of?
3- I have been unprofessional in my criticism of other practitioners. I think this part is clearly unjustified. I have openly criticised concepts and ideas espoused by other professionals. I have often done it while the people whose ideas were being discussed were in the room. Anyone who has seen me speak knows that I always make the point of distinguishing between disagree and dislike. I don’t think it is healthy to adopt an attitude of never criticising another speaker or writer. We are all big boys. If we choose to write articles, speak at conferences and sell educational products then we should expect critques.
Generally I could care less if a private organization wants to discriminate against people it disagrees with. Private organizations are not the federal government and it is not their job to “be fair”. Free speech requirements are only applicable to the government.
But, NSCA has tried long and hard to make itself the de facto official certification body of the strength and conditioning community. With that comes a government-like responsibility to hear all sides of the various arguments in the field and to avoid having a “view” – at least as much as is possible.
That said, I’m not sure I want the NSCA to be this official body. Up until now, it has been common practice to tow the party line when it came to the NSCA. Mike Boyle was one of the very few who criticized them (publically) on a number of points. By “banning” him from this conference, maybe it will lead enough of his followers to get angry enough to rise up against the establishment.
Who knows. Just a thought. While it sucks for Boyle and those people who were planning on going mainly to see him talk, I think on balance it was a good thing that could result in positive changes in the long run.
The NSCA just bit one of the hands that feeds.
