NEWS ARCHIVE

• First anthropometry course held in 8 years in Porto Alegre, Brazil - March 2008
• President's Corner - 2008
• 2008 ISAK Executive Concil Elections - nominations called
• Annual meeting of the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) and Rosscraft
• 2008 International Convention on Science Education and Medicine in Sport
• Singapore will host the Youth Olympics Games in 2010 and the international Confernece in Physical Education and Sports Science (ICPESS 2010).
• One New Level 4 Francis Holway
• New ISAK Criterion Somatotype Raters certified

First anthropometry course in 8 years held in Porto Alegre, Brazil - March 2008

Level 4 Francis Holway recently ran the first ISAK anthropmetry course in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 8 years with Dr Joao Ricardo Turra Magni. The University setting was impressive, the 20 students were extremely qualified (some have been measuring for 30 years, and some were even at the 1978 Brasilia IWGK meeting!) and it turned out very well. Dr. Magni has been manufacturing quality anthropometric equipment since 1979. For further details contact Dr Magni and see the CESCORF website at www.cescorf.com.br See the members page for a brief biography of Joao.

President's Corner - 2008

27 February 2008

Dear Colleagues

The absence of any Kinanthreports for the past twelve plus months (due to the editor having too many multi-million dollar grants to deliver on), has also meant an absence of the President’s Corner.  I write to rectify that situation.

I don’t know how it is in all corners of the ISAK world, but from the members I have communicated with, the picture appears the same and may be summed up by the opening lines of a card I received at Christmas – “Money’s short, Times are hard” -I won’t bore you with the next two lines.  Here in New Zealand, the Government’s plea that there is insufficient money to go round is echoed by educational institutions where we are seeing considerable belt-tightening and even redundancies.  Fortunately, we are not seeing any slowing down in the delivery of ISAK courses – in fact, quite the reverse, as I have approved no fewer than eight courses since this morning.

The next major ISAK event on the calendar for 2008 is the Biennial General Meeting, which will be held in Guangzhou (formerly Canton), China, on 1 August, in association with the ICSEMIS Conference, (1 to 4 August), referenced below.  I encourage as many of you who can to attend, but recognise that it may well be beyond the pocket of the majority of our members.  There will be a re-accreditation opportunity offered while there (on the evening of July 31st) for those who need it.

Prior to the BGM, there is a need to fill upcoming vacancies on the ISAK Council.  All financial members have today been sent details and these are also below.  I encourage you to exercise your votes in this election (if voting turns out to be needed).  Equally, I ask that you consider whether you might wish to offer your services to Council, as there is always room for new blood.  As most of you know, I shall be standing down as President at the BGM, having passed my use-by date, but will automatically continue on Council as the Past-President  - a sort of golden handshake without the money.

Kinanthropometry X (the Melbourne conference proceedings) is now available for purchase and Council has just appointed Patria Hume, Arthur Stewart and Hans de Ridder as the editors for Kinanthropometry XI (the Guangzhou proceedings).  I wish them well with this important task.

Lastly, we are undergoing some changes here at UCOL with a major impact for me and ISAK.  I am losing the services of my PA, Simonne McMillan – to other duties.  I shall hold the fort (to the best of my ability) on the course approval front until such time as her replacement is identified, but I did not want to let this milestone pass without acknowledging the tremendous job Simonne has done for ISAK in the past two years.  I particularly want to thank her, on your behalf, for the care and attention, way beyond the call of duty, that she has given to ISAK and its members.  I know you will join me in this recognition. 

Professor Michael J. Marfell-Jones
Email: collettsfarm@clear.net.nz

Mike Marfell-Jones

President

Previous "President's Reports"

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS - 2008

Lindsay Carter, Past President and Elections Officer

Date: 26 May 2008

At the close of nominations for the Executive Council on 12 May 2008, here is the summary:

President: Hans de Ridder, (SAF) [Nominated - unopposed, elected]
Vice-President: Arthur Stewart, (UK) [Nominated - unopposed, elected]
Sect-Gen: Vacant - no nomination yet. [Permanent or interim appointment at BGM]
Past President: Mike Marfell-Jones, (NZL) [Automatically becomes PP]

A run-off is needed to elect three members to the ISAK Council. Two council members, Betty Perez (VEN) and Patria Hume (NZL) are automatically on the council for two more years (until 2010). There are three vacancies and five nominees for Council. Three will be elected to a four-year term (2008-2012).

Instructions to voters:

You must be a current ISAK member to vote.
Vote for 1, 2 or 3 candidates only.
The three candidates with the most votes (simple majority) will be elected.
To vote for a candidate, type YES (or X) next to the name of the candidate(s).
Returned this ballot by 5 July 2008.

Please see the ISAK Election 2008 Candidate’s statements and photos below before voting.

The five nominees are:       [Vote for 1, 2 or 3 candidates]                    YES or X

Isabel Fragoso (POR) [Nominated for 1st term]                                    ________

Francisco Holway (ARG) [Nominated for 2nd term]                          ________

Sang-Jo Kang (KOR) [Nominated for 2nd term]                                   ________

Shahram F. Mevaloo (IRN) [Nominated for 1st term]                       ________

Francisco Esparza-Ros (ESP) [Nominated for 1st term]                   ________

Type your name here: ______________________________

Please return your ballot via email to: lindsay.carter@sdsu.edu by 5 July 2008.

Timetable:

• Voting closes, 5 July 2008
• Report to Executive Council, 15 July 2008
• Executive Council approves officers at BGM, 1-5 Aug 2008.
  To take effect 5 August 2008 – 30 July 2010.

The final candidates are subject to approval by the present Executive Council at the Biennial General Meeting of ISAK at the International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport 2008, 1-5 August in Guangzhou, China. The present ISAK Executive Council is:

President:                    Mike Marfell-Jones* (NZL)
Vice President:           Isabel Fragoso* (POR)
Secretary-General:  Hans de Ridder (SAF)
Past President:           Lindsay Carter* (USA)
Council:                       Betty Perez (VEN), Arthur Stewart (GBR) , Francisco Holway (ARG), Sang-Jo Kang (KOR)

Thank you for your participation in our election.

J.E. Lindsay Carter

ISAK Elections Officer.
Past President, ISAK.
School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA. 92182-7251. U.S.A.
Email: lindsay.carter@sdsu.edu

ISAK Election 2008 Candidate’s Statements

Isabel Fragoso (POR) [Nominated for 1st term]

I am Portuguese, Catholic, married with 5 children and these are the first and the greatest priorities of my life. I am Associate Professor and the Dean of the Human Movement Sciences Department, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, where I teach Anthropometry, and Kinanthropometry (since 1984) and Growth and Maturation (since 1992). I have been a member of ISAK since 1988, did my Anthropometry Accreditation Course (Level 3): in 1998 and instructed in an Anthropometric Accreditation Course (Level I) during 2003 at the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua. In 2004 we ran our first Anthropometric Accreditation Course (Level I) in Portugal and later two Level I courses. The first Level II course was made possible with the support of Professor Mike Marfell-Jones (L-4). This year we will offer two courses (Level I and Level II) at our university. I was an ISAK Executive Member from 2000 to 2004 and as Vice President from 2004 to 2008. During 2007 I was honored to be awarded Criterion Anthropometrist (Level 4). Since 1991 I have been involved in a number of scientific projects. Most of them studied the impact of loading, and daily life routines (physical activity at school and outside school, domestic activities, nutrition habits) on child growth and development according to their maturation. As a result of our scientific work we have extensive anthropometric data (7000 children) in our Laboratory. Currently we are working in three main domains: 1) a Kinanthropometric distance Course; 2) a Portuguese translation of the ISAK Manual; 3) and finally we have finished an Anthropometric Database. The database stores a great variety of information: (1) biosocial; (2) daily life routines; (3) nutrition habits; (4) anthropometric data; (5) scholar achievement; (6) maturation data. As far as I know this database it is the first internet anthropometric database. It is already working but it is in the experimental phase. All these products are being prepared for use soon by all ISAK members (maybe during the next ISAK meeting).

Francisco Holway (ARG) [Nominated for 2nd term]

Sang-Jo Kang (KOR) [Nominated for 2nd term]

Department of Physical Education
Korea National Sport University, Seoul, KOREA

• Graduated State University of New York at Buffalo, New York, Ed.D.
• Presently working as Professor at Department of Physical Education, Korea National Sport University, Seoul.
• Actively involved in the field of anthropometry and performance assessment of elite athlete.
• Served as one of ISAK Executive Council member at present.
• Firstly introduced ISAK to Korean Academic Society, particularly physical education and exercise science society.
• Successfully running ISAK Anthropometry Accreditation Course (Level I, II, and III) every year since 2002 in Korea.
• Developed one of the largest measurement graduate programs in the field and founded the Korean Measurement and Evaluation Council.
• Selected as an International Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, a very prestigious achievement.

Shahram F. Mevaloo (IRN) [Nominated for 1st term]

Dr Shahram Faradjzadeh Mevaloo as a Level 3 anthropometrist has run 31 ISAK accreditation courses including at Tehran University, Shahid Beheshti University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Isfahan Sport Medicine Board (Isfahan), National Olympic and Paralympic Academy (Tehran), and Saveh Islamic Azad University (Saveh). Shahram is a medical doctor and sport nutritionist, and is currently the president of the Anthropometry Department of National Olympic and Paralympic Academy of Iran. He is the head of Talent Identification and Development committee of I.R. Iran Swimming Federation. Dr Mevaloo is the scientific manager of anthropometry section of the National Planning for Elite Sport Project. He has published anthropometry articles for wrestling, judo, soccer and swimming. Dr Mevaloo and his team in the Anthropometry Department of NOPA regularly measures Iran's top athletes especially before main sport events such as Olympic and Asian Games. Shahram has been the consultant for some postgraduate students working on anthropometry, and sport nutrition. Dr Mevaloo is currently one of the criterion photoscopic somatotype raters in ISAK.
Aims and future contributions to the EC and ISAK:

• More development of ISAK accreditation courses throughout the world.  
• Promoting international research projects, especially in elite sport with active contribution of ISAK members.
• Cooperation between ISAK and International Sport federations.
• Help to develop applied anthropometry.
• Promotion of new anthropometry software.
• Using anthropometry knowledge and skill to achieve better health consequences in general population.

Francisco Esparza-Ros (ESP) [Nominated for 1st term]

Francisco Esparza-Ros was born fifty years ago (27 November 1957), and is a PhD. in Medicine and Surgery, specialist in Sports Traumatology and Physical Activity and Sports Medicine. He is currently a teacher at the Chair of Sports Traumatology of the UCAM, where he is also the director of the Official Master of Sports Traumatology. His first contact with Kinanthropometry was in Barcelona in 1987, with professors Jam Borms and Marcel Hebbelinck. After this meeting and following ISAK protocols, the Spanish Group on Kinanthropometry (GREC) was founded and its first president was Doctor Francisco Esparza-Ros, from 1989 to 1995. Francisco was named GREC’s Honorary President in 2001. The most outstanding work and following ISAK instructions was the publication of “the Kinanthropometry Manual” in 1993, which was published under his supervision and has been the referent of Kinanthropometry in the Spanish-speaking countries. Despite the fact that it was published fifteen years ago, it is still one of the most referenced books in Spain and Latin American countries. After several years devoted to the management and organization of the Chair of Sports Traumatology and after carrying out a level 2 course and a retraining of Spanish levels 3 at the UCAM, with the visit of Prof. Marfell-Jones last year, Doctor Francisco Esparza-Ros decided to promote and activate Kinanthropometry at the UCAM and under his influence, has organized until now two ISAK level 1 courses. I really appreciate the time you are dedicating to me, and at the same time I would like to ask you to put your trust in me, and thus voting me to become a member of the ISAK Executive Council. If I am finally chosen for that position, I am confident that I will contribute with my experience in Sports Traumatology and Academic Management for the benefit of ISAK, any time the President requests it.

Francisco Esparza-Ros nació hace 50 años (27-11-57), es Doctor en Medicina y Cirugía, especialista en Traumatología del Deporte y en Medicina de la Actividad Física y del Deporte. Actualmente es Profesor en la Cátedra de Traumatología del Deporte de la Universidad Católica de Murcia en España (UCAM) y en ella es el Director del Master Oficial de Traumatología del Deporte. Su primer contacto con la Cineantropometría lo realizó en Barcelona, en el año 1987, teniendo como Profesores a Jam Borms y a Marcel Hebbelinck. Tras esta reunión y siguiendo los protocolos de ISAK se fundó el Grupo Español de Cineantropometría (GREC) del que fue presidente desde 1989 hasta 1995. En 2001 fue nombrado presidente honorífico del GREC. El trabajo más destacado y siguiendo las directrices de ISAK, es la publicación en 1993 del “Manual de Cineantropometría”, que bajo su dirección salió a luz y ha servido de referente de la Cineantropometría en el mundo de habla española. A pesar de que han transcurrido 15 años desde su publicación, sigue siendo uno de los libros más referenciados en los trabajos publicados en España y en los países iberoamericanos. Tras unos años dedicados a la gestión y organización de la Cátedra de Traumatología y tras la realización de un curso nivel 2 y el reciclaje de los españoles de nivel 3 en la UCAM, bajo la dirección del Prof. Marfell-Jones el pasado año, decidió potenciar y activar la Cineantropometría en la UCAM y en su ámbito de influencia, habiendo realizado hasta la fecha dos cursos del ISAK, nivel 1.        Agradezco el tiempo que me dedican, al mismo tiempo que solicito me concedan su confianza, votándome para ser miembro del comité ejecutivo del ISAK. De ser elegido, confío poder aportar mi experiencia en la Medicina del Deporte y en la gestión académica, para el beneficio del ISAK, cuando sea requerida por el presidente.

Annual meeting of the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) and Rosscraft

ISAK supports the 2008 American College of Sport Medicine. Indianapolis, USA, 28 to 30 May 2008.     Conference information is available at http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Annual_Meeting2 

Many ISAK members visit the exhibition hall where Rosscraft have been exhibitors for the past ten yeas and will be present again this year in Indianapolis. Rosscraft can arrange for pick up of anthropometric instruments and products on site for those who prefer to return home with them as personal baggage. Please give Adam at rosscraft@datamedia.ca as much time as possible to make arrangements.

Rosscraft can quote show prices for a 30 day period and ship anywhere.  For those who are involved in grant or budget applications please contact Dr Marg Savage, Rosscraft's CEO at rosscraft@shaw.ca or see www.rosscraft.ca

The Rosscraft team will be staying at one of the two main hotels adjacent to the convention center.  One  and  often two ISAK Level 4 criterion anthropometrists are avilable  for verifying technique or answering FAQ's about quality,  field studies, clinical applications and ISAK training and certification.

ACSM conference dates are:

• May 28 – 31, 2008           Indianapolis, IN                     
• May 27-30, 2009             Seattle, Washington
• June 2-5, 2010                  Baltimore, Maryland
• June 1-4, 2011                  Denver, Colorado
• May 30 - June 2, 2012      San Francisco, California

2008 International Convention on Science Education and Medicine in Sport

ISAK supports the 2008 International Convention on Science Education and Medicine in Sport.  August 1-5th.  Guangzhou, China.    Conference information is available at icsemisscs@icsemis2008.org. 

Abstracts are due 29th February 2008. 

Anthropometry based papers presented at the conference may be selected for publication in Kinanthropometry XI.  If you intend to present at the conference, and would like your paper considered for publication in Kinanthropometry XI please contact any one of the editors (Patria HUME, Arthur STEWART, Hans de RIDDER). 

Singapore will host the Youth Olympics Games in 2010 and the International Conferenece in Physical Education and Sports Science (ICPESS 2010).

Singapore will be hosing the inaugural Youth Olympics Games in 2010. There will be a pre-
youth olympics conference called International Conference in Physical Education and Sports Science (ICPESS 2010) just before the Games to be held at National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.

Underway is the development of a symposium "Kinanthropometry and Youth Sports" with invited speakers. The conference organisers would like ISAK colleagues to come to Singapore and present papers at this symposium. ISAK workshops are also planned for participants. For further information contact Asst Prof Pat Wong

One New Level 4 Francis Holway

Criterion Anthropometrist is the highest level of ISAK’s four-level international anthropometry accreditation scheme and is an honour that ISAK does not bestow lightly. It is only awarded to anthropometrists who have many years of experience in taking measurements, have a high level of theoretical knowledge, are involved in the teaching/examining of ISAK workshops or courses, have had involvement in large kinanthropometric measuring projects and have a significant publication record in anthropometry in international peer-reviewed journals.

Francis Holway was appointed Level 4 in 2007.

New ISAK Criterion Somatotype Raters certified

The first ISAK course to certify ISAK Criterion Somatotype Raters was held in Melbourne in 2006. Prof Lindsay Carter ran the course for 14 people. Seven people ended up completing all the requirements (see the courses page for further details). Current ISAK Criterion Somatotype Raters include:

• Lindsay Carter (United States)
• Anup Adhikari (India)     
• Patria Anne Hume (New Zealand)
• Masaharu Kagawa (Australia)
• Sang-Jo Kang (Korea)
• Shahram Faradjzadeh Mevaloo (Iran)
• Kelly Sheerin (New Zealand)
• Arthur D. Stewart (United Kingdom)

ISAK Annual General Meeting in Guangzhou on 1st August 10.30-noon

Dear ISAK Members

ICSEMIS 2008, the Pre-Olympic Conference, will be held from 1 to 4 August in Guangzhou, China. Contrary to earlier expectations and information, the conference will now be held at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center and the designated conference hotel will be the Oriental International Convention Hotel (located inside the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center). [This change is explained on the conference website http://www.icsemis2008.org/ Anyone who has already booked in another conference hotel will have their booking transferred to the Oriental International.]

Following the example of previous conferences, the ICSEMIS Organising Committee has kindly offered to provide meeting rooms free of charge for ISAK to hold its Council meeting, a re-accreditation exam and its Biennial General meeting.

These will be held as follows:

31 July: ISAK Council Meeting - 9.00am to 4.00pm

31 July: ISAK Re-accreditation Practical Examination - 6.00 to 9.00pm

1 August: ISAK Biennial General meeting - 10.30am to noon.

If you intend coming to Guangzhou, either to attend the conference or to attend the ISAK meetings, could you please let President Mike Marfell-Jones know as soon as possible at m.marfell-jones@ucol.ac.nz so that he can establish who is coming and let the organisers know how many will be expected at the various meetings.

Please let him know what you intend attending and what you have already organised in terms of registration, accommodation and a letter of invitation (which you will need in order to get your visa to enter China). If any of these aspects still have to be accomplished, ISAK may be able to assist.

Kind regards

Prof. J. Hans de Ridder (Ph.D.)
Secretary-General, ISAK and Criterion Anthropometrist
School of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science
North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)
Potchefstroom, 2520
SOUTH AFRICA

E-mail: Hans.DeRidder@nwu.ac.za
Fax: +27 18 299 1825
Tel.: +27 18 299 1791

International Symposium of Measurements of Human Functions

The International Symposium of Measurements of Human Functions was hosted by Cascais, in the outskirts of Lisboa, the capital of Portugal. ISHF2007 aimed to provide an international forum for presentation and discussion of the latest research on the theoretical, experimental and applied aspects of human function. To find out more follow this link to the official symposium website.

Two New Level 4s

Criterion Anthropometrist is the highest level of ISAK’s four-level international anthropometry accreditation scheme and is an honour that ISAK does not bestow lightly. It is only awarded to anthropometrists who have many years of experience in taking measurements, have a high level of theoretical knowledge, are involved in the teaching/examining of ISAK workshops or courses, have had involvement in large kinanthropometric measuring projects and have a significant publication record in anthropometry in international peer-reviewed journals.

It gives me great pleasure, therefore, to announce that on 12 March 2006, the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) recognised Associate Professor Timothy OLDS, University of South Australia, as a Criterion Anthropometrist. Tim becomes only the 13th anthropometrist worldwide to achieve ISAK Criterion status. A prolific writer of learned scientific articles, an excellent teacher and mentor and a first-class scientist, Tim has been involved in virtually every major ISAK initiative in the past ten years. From the publication of Anthropometrica, through the development, and subsequent revision of the ISAK Manual, in the editorship of at least four editions of the Kinanthropometry series, in the Accreditation Scheme, and by a huge contribution to ISAK through his role as editor (and majority writer), of the Society’s “newsletter”, the Kinanthreport, (which he has transformed from a one-page broadsheet into a multi-page publication, the standard of which would do credit to many a commercial publishing organisation), Tim has set a stellar benchmark for commitment and industry for future anthropometrists to aspire to. His promotion to Criterion Anthropometrist is just recognition of these achievements and will I’m sure, be lauded by all members.

It also gives me pleasure to announce that on 14 May 2006, the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) recognised Associate Professor Patria HUME, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, as a Criterion Anthropometrist. Patria becomes the 14th anthropometrist worldwide to achieve ISAK Criterion status. Though new to the ISAK Council sphere of operations, Patria has been extensively involved in anthropometric research and teaching since the early nineties. Her enviable publication record is matched by the number of young anthropometrists she has trained through the extensive and very successful offering of ISAK courses to her undergraduate and graduate students at the Auckland University of Technology. Patria’s deserved elevation to Level 4 will allow her to train Level 3’s in her own right, significantly enhancing the opportunities she can offer to others to benefit from the passing on of her skills and knowledge.

Professor Mike Marfell-Jones

President's Corner

Professor Michael J. Marfell-Jones
UCOL, Private Bag 11-022, Palmerston North, NEW ZEALAND. 
Ph: 64-6-952 7000, Fax: 64-6-952 7002,
Email: m.marfell-jones@ucol.ac.nz

1 June 2006,

Dear Colleagues

What a year so far! Our Melbourne conference is now three and a half months behind us and what a pleasure it was to see so many old friends there. The international visitors quite put some of the “locals” to shame by their attendance, with Arthur STEWART taking the most-traveled prize, only slightly ahead of three young English colleagues. For my part, it was a pleasant relief only having to take a single four-hour flight across the Tasman – the shortest distance I’ve ever had to travel for one of our biennial gatherings.

Despite earlier misgivings about a conference venue which was some distance from the various conference hotels, I was very impressed with the whole set up, particularly the Moonee Valley Racecourse which was a wonderful setting with excellent facilities. We were treated very well, being given first-class rooms to hold both our anthropometric presentations and our various meetings in. Interactions with the Conference organisers were positive throughout. The mutually-helpful relationship greatly assisted both the organisation and running of the ISAK stream and the tasks of the editors of, and the potential contributors to, Kinanthropometry X. Today, less than four months from the conference, more than half the contributions have reached the full acceptance stage, with the remainder not far behind. This presages well for an early publication date which equates to early recognition of the authors efforts and scholarship.

One of the highlights of the conference for me was the recognition of a new Level 4 – Tim OLDS. I shall refer to that recognition in more detail elsewhere in this issue of Kinanthreport (with my Accreditation Working Group Chair hat on), but I do also want to acknowledge it here. More than a few anthropometrists have been surprised over the years to learn that Tim wasn’t already a Level 4, as he had always appeared to behave like one. I’m very pleased to be able to say that perception is now reality. Two months after that very pleasant presidential duty, of presenting Tim with his Level 4 certificate in the presence of so many ISAK anthropometrists, I was able to ring another senior anthropometrist, co-incidentally on her 40th birthday, to let her know that she too had been awarded Level 4 recognition — Patria HUME. I record my presidential congratulations to Patria who will, I am certain, make an excellent on-going contribution to ISAK in her new role as a Criterion Anthropometrist.

The other big announcement at Melbourne was the completion of the revised version of the ISAK Manual. This revision has been a major undertaking, with monumental input from its four authors, Lindsay CARTER, Arthur STEWART, Tim OLDS and Yours Truly, ably supported by comment from all Level 4 and many Level 3 anthropometrists. I was pleased to note the decision by the Executive Council at its Melbourne meeting, to award Lindsay, Arthur, Tim and me authorship of the new Manual – a fitting recognition of the hundreds of hours that each of us have put into the task. On ISAK’s behalf, I thank Tim, Arthur and Lindsay yet again for all their efforts on this key component of the ISAK training and accreditation programme.

In mid-May, my copy of Kinanthropometry IX arrived at my office, tangible proof that it had finally completed its journey from conception to birth. I would like to thank my co-editors Arthur STEWART and Tim OLDS for all their mid-wifery efforts in this exercise, but I particularly want to mention the excellent job that my P.A., Jennifer Gordon, did on the formatting and presentation of this publication. Her tenacity in seeing through to fruition what was, at times, an incredibly frustrating task, as she battled, for example, with a seemingly idiosyncratic computer programme which didn’t really want the graph in question to go where it needed to, or interacted with an author who undid all her hard work by repeatedly sending unformatted amended versions back in response to edit queries, was gratifying to behold and sincerely appreciated. I hope that the experience didn’t scar her for life and that it was not in any way contributory to her decision to move on from UCOL, for as some, but not all of you yet know, Jennifer’s last day as my PA was 9 June a big loss for me personally, for UCOL and particularly for ISAK.

Jennifer has done a first-class job for ISAK throughout her tenure as my PA and made a huge contribution to the success of the ISAK Accreditation Scheme, especially in the areas of approval letters, course tracking and certificate production and dispatch. Few who have not had first-hand experience of these tasks can comprehend the nature and magnitude of the work, (and often frustration), involved in handling these crucial components of the Scheme – as Arthur Stewart knows only too well. That Jennifer managed it with, (not always, but mostly) the equanimity of a Saint, is a just reflection of the overall contribution she has made to ISAK over the past two years Many of you have communicated with Jennifer, only a very few of you have had the opportunity to meet her. I and ISAK wish her all the very best for her next career move.

Another major task that Jennifer assisted me and ISAK with has been the finalising of the third component of the ISAK Handbook – the Guidelines for Running ISAK courses. The ISAK Handbook, which will be sent out in July to all Level 3 and 4 ISAK anthropometrists, has three parts to it. These are 1) the definition of the ISAK Accreditation Scheme itself, 2) the ISAK Manual and 3) the above-mentioned Guidelines. The current version of the Scheme was primarily approved in 2004 at ISAK’s Biennial General Meeting (BGM) in Thessaloniki, with a few small, but significant, changes approved at the Melbourne BGM. The ISAK Manual has had a major overall revision. The vast majority of our measurement protocols remain the same, as of course they should, but have been presented in a much clearer, more uniform, way, which I’m confident you will find helpful. A few key changes have been made, however, which you must make it your business to find out about and incorporate into your measurement. The at-long-last publication of the third component, the Guidelines, will greatly assist those who run and examine ISAK courses, as well as those, we hope, who administer the Scheme. Adherence to the decided protocols for such things as course approvals, payments, notification of results and distribution of certificates, should markedly decrease the workload of all involved — “a consummation devoutly to be wished”, as Shakespeare once penned. The four major contributors to the Guidelines were the same four as authored the new ISAK Manual. My and ISAK’s thanks go yet again, therefore, to Tim, Arthur and Lindsay for their major input here, one component of which involved face-to-face discussions in their own homes and offices — no mean feat when you consider that they live in Australia, Scotland and the United States, respectively.

Finally, in this President’s Corner, I want to record ISAK’s thanks to three parties. Firstly I want to thank Tim OLDS, yet again, for his on-going editorship of Kinanthreport. The standard of the report, which needs no literary embellishment from me, is a worthy reflection of the standard of Tim’s contribution from ISAK. Secondly, I want to thank Hans de RIDDER for his quiet, capable management of the ISAK Secretary General’s role. Successful handling of the Society’s financial affairs is essential to its on-going existence. We are indeed lucky to have a steward of Hans’s ability and probity handling this key portfolio. Thirdly, I wish to record ISAK’s gratitude and debt to my own institute, the Universal College of Learning, for its on-going immense support of my involvement in ISAK as its President. I am indeed very fortunate and very proud to work for such a supportive organisation, which, through the good offices of its President, Paul McElroy, has enabled and facilitated my participation in so many ISAK meetings and projects.

Mike Marfell-Jones

President

Previous "President's Reports"

ISAK BGM Melbourne 2006

At the ISAK BGM held in Melbourne in March this year, the following resolutions were taken:

• ISAK membership fees remain at $US20 per year for developed countries (with a preference for four-year memberships), and $US7.50 for members from developing countries.
• The next ISAK BGM will be held in Guangzhou (formerly Canton), China, on 3 August 2008, in association with the ICSEMIS Conference, (1 to 4 August).
• New protocols were decided for ISAK accreditation.

To view more photos from Melbourne 2006, click here

Photoscopic Somatotype Workshop

An ISAK sponsored workshop in photoscopic somatotyping was held at the Commonwealth International Scientific Congress, Melbourne, Australia, 9-12 March, 2006. The workshop was taught by Lindsay Carter, ISAK L4 anthropometrist, and a criterion somatotype rater.

Purpose
The purpose of this workshop was to teach photoscopic and anthropometric plus photoscopic somatotype ratings. The primary aim was to ensure that there will be a core group of well-trained photoscopic somatotypers who will be a resource for others in the field. There are only a few colleagues in the world who can be classified as competent photoscopic raters or who have compared themselves to “criterion” raters. There were 14 participants in the workshop, from ten countries. The workshop was divided into three parts, with only Part 2 held in Melbourne.

Part 1 - Pre-course: one month prior to Melbourne. This consisted of several samples of rated somatotype photographs (approx. 75-subjects), along with relevant data on a CD. These samples demonstrated to the participant how to make the ratings and allowed the participant to compare their ratings with the criterion rating. This was the distance learning part of the course.

Part 2 – Within-course. This was a “live” workshop in Melbourne at the Congress site. There were two 90-minute sessions. Topics:

(1) Photoscopic somatotype: origins; uses; methods; Anthropometric+Photoscopic criterion ratings; comparison of methods; rating criteria; Heath vs Sheldon. Uses: Body image; etc.

(2) The somatotype photograph – origins and uses; review of rating procedures; new photos shown with rating exercises; “clinical” applications; resolution of problem ratings; new “blind” ratings; somatotype analyses; somatotype software. Photograph methods: traditional 3 views (b&w); specifications; proportions – distortions; new – digital options and specifications

(3) New photos: extremes; problem ratings; candidate examples. Blind ratings; methods and examples; clinical applications; dealing with press photos and data, etc.

(4) Somatotyping children: new HWR table; examples; comparisons.

(5) Somatotype analyses: 3D, Somatotype Attitudinal Means; comparisons. Somatotype program: Somatotype 1.1.

Part 3 – Post-course. Participants were sent a CD containing male and female somatotype photographs, with basic data by no rating. These somatotypes are the “exam” to test competence in photoscopic rating. After the ratings were completed, the participants returned them to Lindsay Carter for evaluation. Once the participant passed, a certification as a “Criterion Somatotype Rater” was issued by ISAK.

ESTÁNDARES INTERNACIONALES PARA LA VALORACIÓN ANTROPOMÉTRICA

The ISAK manual, International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment, first edition 2001, has been translated into Spanish and is now available for purchase. The title is: Estándares Internacionales para la Valoración Antropométrica, publicado por la Sociedad Internacional para el Avance de la Kinantropometría.

This manual was translated for ISAK by Miguel A Albarran (Universidad de Puerto Rico), and Francisco Holway, (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Their translation was reviewed and edited by Betty M. Perez, (Universidad Central de Venezuela). This Spanish edition is available by contacting Dr. Miguel A. Albarrán (email: albarran@fuser.info). 

ISAK Level 3-4s are urged to use this volume in their courses. The cost of the ISAK Manual is U$ 18.00 plus shipping and handling fee that will be determined based on the number of manuals requested. Shipment will be made from Puerto Rico or Venezuela (Professor Pedro A. Alexander p_alexander_ve@yahoo.com)

Dr Arthur D. Stewart, Criterion Anthropometrist

11 February 2004

It gives me great pleasure to announce that on 1 September 2003, the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) recognized Dr Arthur Stewart, University of Aberdeen, as a Criterion Anthropometrist.  

Criterion Anthropometrist is the highest level of ISAK's four-level international anthropometry accreditation scheme and is an honour that ISAK does not bestow lightly.   It is only awarded to anthropometrists who have many years of experience in taking measurements, have a high level of theoretical knowledge, are involved in the teaching/examining of ISAK workshops or courses, have had involvement in large kinanthropometric measuring projects and have a significant publication record in anthropometry in international peer-reviewed journals.   Arthur Stewart becomes only the 11 th anthropometrist worldwide and the first in Great Britain to achieve ISAK Criterion status.

On top of his anthropometric achievements, Arthur has been a valued member of ISAK's Accreditation Working Group since 2001 and an ISAK Council member since July 2002.   He is Co-chair of the Scottish Anthropometry Standardisation group (SAS) for the Scottish Institute of Sport and a member of the Aberdeen Centre for Energy Regulation and Obesity (ACERO) research group.   In 2002, he organized and ran Britain's first ISAK Level 3 anthropometry course at the University of Aberdeen and followed it up with teaching and examining a Level 2 course, again in Aberdeen, in July, last year.

To date, Arthur has proven himself an excellent academic ambassador for both anthropometry and ISAK.   His appointment as a Criterion Anthropometrist is just recognition of his scholarship and effort and reflects great credit not only on him, but also on his institution, the University of Aberdeen.   I know he will wear his new mantle with honour and will more than capably meet its attendant responsibilities.

Mike Marfell-Jones

ISAK President

Opening of J.E. Lindsay Carter Anthropometry Laboratory - Auckland, New Zealand

At 3pm on the 18/11/03 Lindsay Carter opened AUT's J.E. Lindsay Carter Anthropometry Laboratory that was named in his honor. Here is a short movie covering the event.

Short news item that was on national TV about the opening.
(QuickTime plug in is needed to view this) File is 4.9Mb
It may take a few minutes for the movie to play, depending
on your Internet connection.

Click here to view photos from this event.

Oceania Powerlifting Research

The Auckland Anthropometry Team in New Zealand have been measuring teams of athletes in the Auckland region for the last 5 years. From the 6th to the 8th of December 2002 they made their first field trip out of the Auckland area to measure athletes at the Oceania Powerlifting Championships. Athletes from Australia, Pacific island nations, and New Zealand. Working out of their motel rooms they took full profiles of 40 of these nationally ranked athletes. See further information on the project on hte projects page of the ISAK website.

Lindsay Carter's visit to AUT Auckland - 2001

From left to right: Raewyn Hing (Masters student & ISAK Level 2), Patria Hume (AUT Professor & ISAK Level 4), Kelly Sheerin (Physiotherapist & ISAK Level 3), Lindsay Carter (ISAK Level 4) Simon Pearson (PhD student & ISAK Level 3)

This page has been updated on 1st December 2008 by Patria Hume.