Welcome to the Ontario Human Performance Association
Purpose
The Ontario Human Performance Association is an educational network available for any individual who uses physical activity for the specific purpose of increasing human physical performance.
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Ontario Human Performance Association to provide an educational and certification network for those professionals interested in using advanced training techniques to maximize the performance of their clientele.
The Concept
The Ontario Human Performance Association is an educational network available for any individual who uses physical activity for the specific purpose of increasing the physical performance level of themselves or their clients. Traditionally, human performance training was directed by the strength and conditioning coach and was largely focused on high level athletes. More recently, this role has expanded to include training individuals of all abilities; the very young, the very old, people with special needs, people recovering from injury, and the average recreational athlete. All of these individuals are seeking performance gains, and due to the unique characteristics of this population, strength and conditioning coaches are unlikely to be the ones training them.
In Ontario, the professionals working with these populations has included Kinesiologists, Athletic Therapists, Physiotherapists or Personal Trainers. These groups have excellent skills in their respective areas but may have limited training on maximizing human performance through advanced training techniques. Traditional strength coaches, on the other hand, have been looking to expand their skill sets so that they can better work with some of these unique populations. It is the goal of the Ontario Human Performance Association to bring these groups together to learn from each other and expand the training options for those individuals looking to maximize their physical performance.
There are many excellent professional associations in Ontario that provide continuing education for Kinesiologists, Athletic Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Personal Trainers. Despite this, there are limited educational resources for learning more about advanced human performance training and testing techniques. The National Strength and Conditioning Association has limited outreach to the provinces, therefore most of the training of professionals in this field occurs through private workshops hosted by large for-profit companies attempting to build franchise-style networks of trainers. It is hoped that through the development of this association, a network of educators can be brought together to offer quality, affordable, and accessible learning opportunities for professionals in the field. Ontario is home to many skilled performance coaches, the key is to bring them together to share their learning with others in the field.