Will CoSIDA be Last?

A point of discussion for some years within the organization is certification. The consensus was to not have it during the late 90s, early 00s. Increasingly, the point is moot. Other organizations around athletics are adding certification as a means of portraying themselves as "professional" and separating average skills from "college-level".

Look, I am the first to say I find the entire "wears a good suit" school of hiring -- total appearance over substance -- abhorrent.

Problem is that's not the world we live in, kids.

No offense to their profession when I say this, but the business card form comes across the transom a few weeks ago for one of our assistant equipment managers, who's got some alphabet soup after his name. I ask, and he's "certified" in collegiate equipment manager skills.

So add equipment managers to strength coaches, trainers, counselors, academic support, marketing, certain sport coaching groups, et al, that now provide certification to the members of their organizations.

The time has passed for it in the PR community associated with athletics. There. I said it.

Consider me certifiable.