Home

FAQs

FAQ’s are broken down into the following categories

If what you are looking for is not here or you think we should add additional information, then please post your question on the Suggestions forum. We will then get an answer added to FAQ’s as soon as possible.

Privacy


What is...


Advice


Are you self-employed, a consultant or in the sports and exercise business


Looking for talented people or looking for a job?


Getting sport science qualifications


Students


 

Privacy

How confidential is the information I put onto the iStadia website?

All personal information held on iStadia is confidential other than that which you have agreed will be visible to other users of the iStadia site, see our terms of business for a more detailed explanation.
iStadia conforms to the UK Data Protection Act.

Can I hide some of my details?

Yes you can hide some of your details – see MyStadia

Can I remove someone from my network?

Yes – see MyStadia

What is...

What is a blog?

A blog is short for weblog. A blog is basically an online journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

What goes into a blog?

A blog can be a daily diary, a daily rant of your views on sport and exercise, the performance of your local/national team, the current state of your nation’s health or a considered, well argued view of something you would like to see changed or brought to the attention of everyone.
Remember that anyone can read your blog so make sure that your language is considered and not unreasonably personal.

All blogs are moderated. Unreasonable content will be removed immediately and membership cancelled.

What is an article and is it different from a blog?

Within the context of iStadia an article is a written piece of work usually related either to research, applied work, case study, a news item or educational insight whereas a blog is a daily update of what someone is doing or a statement of an individual’s views and opinions.

What is the benefit of having a personal network?

A network is personal and consists of all people who you want to stay in contact with. Your network can include friends, referrals, team mates, team officials, clients, potential clients, people that know people that you want to potentially contact/do business with, equipment suppliers, colleagues from business, academia, other regions/countries, contacts from other/related disciplines, professional services (agent, accountant, lawyer, financial advisor, club manager, National Governing Body contacts like the FA, RFU, PGA etc. etc.
The benefit of your network is that all contact details are in one place so you will not lose contact with anyone. In addition it is also easier to find the people you want to contact with. It is a rule of thumb that you are only 5 points of contact away from anyone.

What is a community?

A community is a group of people linked together by a broad common interest or location eg. sport and exercise as in iStadia or geographic location as in a town, village or estate.

What is a Club (or interest group)?

A Club or interest group is a group within a community which has a specific interest and attracts like-minded people eg. sport psychology, sports law, coaching, rugby, lower back injury, obesity, eating disorders within sport etc. They can also be highly focused within a sector, sport or discipline or any combination eg. sports law within football, increasing motivation to take exercise across all age groups, sport science (psychology, biomechanics, physiology, nutrition, strength and conditioning) in tennis etc.
Anyone can form a Club so long as they have the minimum Premium level of membership and can it can focus on any area or subject within sport or exercise.

What is an expert?

An expert is someone who holds appropriate qualifications and has gained experience in the areas, subjects, conditions that you are interested in. It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that any ‘expert’ you engage for any purpose whatsoever is qualified to the right degree. For example there are many practitioners who call themselves sport psychologists but their qualifications can vary from a 2 week NLP course to those that hold undergraduate/postgraduate qualifications as well as appropriate accreditations. It is strongly recommended that when looking for an appropriate ‘expert’ that you discuss their background, qualifications including accreditations and experience.
Experts include coaches, sport psychologists, biomechanists, physiologists, nutritionists, strength and conditionists as well as related disciplines such as hypnotherapists, NLP practitioners, clinical psychologists, occupational psychologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, EFT practitioners, acupuncturists etc.
Corporate experts include lawyers, agents, accountants, tax advisors etc.

What is a consultant?

A consultant is someone who has specialised knowledge that offers his or her services to help you to improve what you do, or can help you solve a problem. Consultants are generally used to solve short to medium term issues from a one-off consultation but more usually weeks to several months. Longer periods – months to even a year or longer then the term contractor (perhaps more synonymous with IT work) tends to be used. For periods longer than a year then it usually takes the form of permanent employment.
Coaching can fall into any of these categories but sports science and business are generally accorded this title eg. sport/exercise psychologist, physiotherapist, personal trainer, biomechanist, nutritionist, accountant, business, tax consultant etc. For many in sports science the title practitioner maybe preferred.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is awarded by a professional body in recognition of experience gained in the field of expertise over which the said body oversees eg. AAASP (Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology), BASES (the British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences, and the BPS (British Psychological Society) offer accreditations in the area of sport psychology.
We recommend that in most instances you should use accredited practitioners or consultants where applicable. These bodies may use different terms for accreditation such as certification and chartered status.
In addition accreditations are awarded in the fields of physiology (ASEP in the USA and BASES in the UK), biomechanics, strength and conditioning and nutrition.

What is biomechanics

The application of the laws and knowledge of mechanics to the anatomical (structural) and physiological (functional) aspects of a living, breathing system ie. the human body.

What does a biomechanist do?

A biomechanist finds ways to improve performance which requires applying the principles of kinematics (movement) and kinetics (forces). We use a diverse array of technologies—e.g., video motion software, sensing and timing equipment, and electromyography (EMG)—to record subtle measurements and analyze performance. It can include the study of video and sensory data using tools such as a "force platform", which is a complex set of scales measuring the forces an athlete generates as they make a movement such as a jump. This information can then be used to help athletes hone their technique.

What is nutrition as it relates to sport and exercise

Nutrition is the effect of nutritional intake (food and drink) and its effects on physical activities, be it for leisure, exercise or high level performance.

What does a nutritionist do?

Athletes or those concerned about what they eat in relation to exercising usually attend an individual screening session with a dietitian to assess their eating patterns and important nutrition issues. Throughout the year, this is likely to involve follow-up sessions to discuss specific dietary concerns or questions. Issues that require individualised attention include nutrient deficiencies (e.g. iron deficiency), weight management, failure to recover well from training sessions, and specialised competition eating plans. The athlete may initiate their own appointments or may be referred by other sports science/medicine professionals, their coaches or parents.

What is physiology as it relates to sport and exercise

This is a field of sports medicine that involves the study of the body's response to physical stress; comprises the science of fitness, the preservation of fitness, and the role of fitness in the prevention and treatment of disease.
It is the identification of physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity, the comprehensive delivery of treatment services concerned with the analysis, improvement, and maintenance of health and fitness, rehabilitation of heart disease and other chronic diseases and/or disabilities, and the professional guidance and counsel of athletes and others interested in athletics, sports training, and human adaptability to acute and chronic exercise.

What does a physiologist do

An exercise physiologist is a person who usually has a Bachelors (Undergraduate) or Masters degree or a doctorate in sport and/or exercise physiology from an accredited college or university. In the U.S. such an individual may be certified by the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP) or accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) in the UK to practice physiology within sport and exercise.

What is sports psychology

Sports psychology is often used to encompass both sport and exercise psychology Sport psychology is a specialisation within psychology that seeks to understand psychological/mental factors that affect performance in sports, physical activity and exercise and apply these to enhance individual and team performance. It deals with increasing performance in by managing emotions and minimising the psychological effects of injury and poor performance. Some of the most important skills taught are goal setting, relaxation, visualisation, self-talk awareness and control, concentration, using rituals, attribution training, and periodisation. The principles and theories may be applied to any human movement or performance tasks (e.g., playing a musical instrument, acting in a play, public speaking, motor skills).
Usually, experts recommend that students be trained in both kinesiology (i.e., sport & exercise sciences, physical education) and psychology/counselling. Some sport psychologists are also trained in clinical psychology and are qualified to provide assistance with problems such as drug abuse and eating disorders.
“Sport and Exercise Psychology” encompasses a wide variety of theories that have been developed to explain how motivations, beliefs and emotions influence our behaviour plus the behaviour of individuals or members of groups in sport and exercise.

What does a Sport Psychologists do?

A sport psychologist helps athletes to perform better, more consistently and, in many cases; improves the quality of experience of participation in sport; it also covers other issues such as career transitions (such as retirement and moving to different levels eg. amateur to professional), coach behaviour and communication skills.

What is an exercise psychologist and what do they do?

Exercise Psychologists are more interested in helping people to become more active, more often. The goal driving this is not performance, but health and well-being. The link between physical activity and physical health – and the danger of a sedentary lifestyle - is well-documented. The psychological benefits of exercise, captured by the maxim “healthy body, healthy mind”, are such that physical activity and/or exercise are legitimate therapeutic interventions for some psychological disorders.
Many of the concepts that interest sport psychologists relate well to exercise psychology, with different emphasis. For example, where sport psychologist may be interested in achieving optimal motivational patterns for performance, exercise psychologists might be interested in why certain groups of people exercise less than others. Similarly, while self-confidence is key to performing under pressure, related concepts such as physical self-esteem can be an important influence on whether someone participates in exercise. What is strength and conditioning

Strength and conditioning is the physical and physiological development of athletes for top sport performance. It bridges the gap between the theory of training and applied training by helping athletes to get faster, stronger, more flexible and keep going longer so they perform better and steer clear of injuries. It encompasses the entire development of the athlete and what is needed to improve physical performance.

What does a strength and conditioning specialist do?

A strength and conditioning specialist usually assists a coach with the application of plyometrics, improving speed and agility, endurance and core stability as well as strength training.

What is a tag?

A tag is the same as a keyword or label. These are words or short phrases separated by a comma that summarise the content you are adding to the site eg. My Profile, Event, Article, Blog, Forum etc. For instance let's say you are a sport psychologist practicing on the West Coast of the USA specialising in long term injury rehabilitation, then you might use the following tags - sport psychologist, sport psychology, long term sport injury, injury rehabilitation, acl, goal setting, California, CA, USA etc. These words or phrases would help to find you when someone is using Google, MSN, Yahoo or iStadia's own search engine to find advice or support. If you did not want to attract people from the other end of the State, then you might use towns or cities within commutable distance of where you want to work.

 

Advice

How do I find an expert or consultant?

Use Search within My Profile using Tags (keywords). If for example you are looking for a sport psychologist in San Diego with specific experience in injury rehabilitation then you would put the following into the search box: Sport psych, San Diego, injury rehabilitation
This would pick up all Profiles that mentioned these Tags. Using ‘spport psych’ will pick up sport psychology and sport psychologist. If say location was not critical then you might use California instead of San Diego.

How do I know if they are appropriately qualified?

Look under Qualifications in My Profile for the individual concerned.
If you need advice then ask questions in the various Forums

How do I find an expert or consultant in my area?

See ‘How do I find an expert or consultant’ above

How can I find someone that speaks my language?

You can use the Search facility or look up @My role’ or ‘What I have to offer’ in My Profile for the individual concerned.

If I ask an ‘expert’ or consultant to work with my child, are there any precautions I should take beforehand?

Interview them at least once and always observe them at work with other children. Ensure they have been checked for any convictions involving children. This is the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) in the UK.

Can I find a job through iStadia?

Go to Jobs and use the Search to find what is available in your sphere of work or your area or where you would like to work.

Does a coach need qualifications?

A good coach may not have any qualifications but huge amounts of experience but generally speaking it is better to have qualifications rather than not. Qualification can assist but not replace effective, quality experience. The benefit of qualifications of course applies to any role but always discuss this with the individual concerned, take out references, speak to athletes/individuals that he/she has coached before. Try and get other informed individuals to assist with any interviewing so that you make an informed choice. Always remember that whatever qualifications, experience he/she has, that personality will always have a significant influence. If you are looking at a coach for your son or daughter then ask if you can organise a short trial to see how they get on.

Would I ask the same questions to a coach as I would to a sport scientist (sport & exercise psychologist, biomechanist, physiologist, nutritionist, strength & conditioning specialist)?

Yes, in terms of experience, qualifications, accreditations including the option of a trial.

Is accreditation important?

Usually yes but experience is always valuable and you can never discount character or personality to impart information and motivation.

Is NLP the same as a degree qualified sport and exercise psychologist?

No. NLP practitioners have an important place within sport and exercise but 2 weeks of NLP training does not compare to 3 years of undergraduate study (BSc) or a years postgraduate study (MSc) or doctoral research (PhD) or combinations of all three. Both NLP and full time/part time academic training have their place with some consultants using the best of both disciplines.

I play for my local football (substitute your sport) club and would like to know if a sport psychologist/physiologist/biomechanist/nutritionist /physiotherapist/strength and conditioning specialist would be interested in helping us?

In most cases the answer is yes. Use Search within My Profile to find the most appropriate consultant and then discuss your needs directly.

My child has been told that she could make a career out of golf (substitute relevant sport), how can I ensure she gets the right support and advice.

Speak to as many qualified consultants both in terms of experience and qualifications within your child’s chosen sport as possible to get the right guidance.

I would like to set up a Club (specialised community or interest group), how do I do this?

If you hold the minimum Premium level of membership you can set up a Club. You only need one member to start this before you can tell the rest of the iStadia community what you want to do.

What should I aim to offer everyone if I set up a community or interest group?

Anyone interested in your subject area will want to join your Club. They will be looking for a variety of things:

Are you self-employed, a consultant or in the sports and exercise business

I am a self-employed consultant, what is the best way of promoting myself?

Develop your profile in My Profile, develop your network, use the marketing advice available from iStadia marketing@istadia.com

I want to look for another job?

The jobs board advertises jobs across the entire spectrum of the sport and exercise industry.

I need to get higher qualifications to further my career? How can I get good advice?

Access the forums within iStadia and talk to people.

How do I find the right academic institution for the kind of course/qualifications I am considering?

Access the forums within iStadia and talk to people (lecturers, professors, students, ex-students).

I am a recently qualified graduate (or postgraduate), how can I get the right kind of experience?

Use your network, look at the jobs pages and/or look at accreditation through a professional institution such as BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) in the UK.

I see that you can put video into your profile either to promote your business or yourself or show the kind of work that you do. Can I get someone to do this cost effectively?

Send an email to marketing@istadia.com

I am considering going into business on my own; where can I get help with this regarding things like type of company, VAT, tax, how much to charge, accounts, marketing/promoting my business etc. etc.

See ‘How do I find an expert or consultant’ in Advice above

Looking for talented people or looking for a job?

I want to look for another job? Find what you are looking for under Jobs/search Click here link to Jobs homepage

My CV needs improving; can you help? Click here

Do you help with interview preparation? Click here

We only have part-time jobs available, is that something iStadia can help us with? Click here

What is the best way of advertising our job vacancies on iStadia? Click here

Can we approach iStadia members directly to discuss job opportunities we are trying to fill?

Yes if they are independent consultants working for themselves.
No if they are employed by a business or academic institution but you can advertise through Jobs to attract them. Direct soliciting from corporate members is not allowed.

I am looking for a full-time/part-time role in another country, can you help?

Yes, use Jobs search to see if there are vacancies in the type of work you are interested in by choosing the country you would like to work in from the drop down menu. You can also tell the iStadia community what kind of a job you are looking for in ‘What I have to offer’ in My Profile.

Getting sport science qualifications

I need to get higher qualifications to further my career? Where can I get good advice?

Discuss this in Forums or email info@istadia.com

How do I find the right academic institution for the kind of course/qualifications I am considering?

Discuss this in Forums or email info@istadia.com

Students

Can I buy books and other services through iStadia at a discount?

We have a wide range of books and DVD's covering all aspects of sport, fitness and exercise from sport science to business in sport. They can all be found on iStadia's MarketPlace.

Can students with free membership attend events and workshops?

Yes via public Clubs and iStadia ads

Can students set up communities and interest groups?

This cannot be done on the basic (free) level of membership. Upgrading to Premium level allows members to do this.

I need access to a particular population to assist with a psychometric project I am undertaking, can iStadia help me?

Indirectly using iStadia forums or your own network. You could also place an ad. Students get substantial discounts. Ads are likely to be free during the beta period at least until the final version of the iStadia site is launched.

Can I get access to research journals through iStadia?

Not at present, though we are currently talking to Human Kinetics and, Taylor and Francis to be able to offer this to our members.

Can I contact an ‘expert’ or a consultant to help me with my studies?

excluded from iStadia. ‘Experts’ in any field will be targeted for advice, a point of view, copy of a paper and this can be intrusive. Make sure all avenues have been examined before making a direct approach and ensure that the individual concerned has indicated via their profile that they are agreeable to this. Then and only then send an email.