AASP Newsletter - May 2019
Editor's Note
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Sebastian Brueckner, PhD, CMPC, Münster University, Münster, Germany
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
- Albert Einstein
Embracing change: That seems to be the key message for an organization like AASP when looking at the quote by Nobel Prize Winner Albert Einstein. Often, this change is spurred by many small details that build a whole. This is what I highlighted in my last Editor’s Note in May 2018. Sometimes, however, a major change occurs more abruptly, through a shift, leap, or sudden transformation… The historical event at last year’s AASP Annual Conference in Toronto, whereby an interim E-Board position for Diversity & Inclusion was created, reflects such a major change. Dr. Leeja Carter was appointed as interim D&I Division Head and will have the opportunity to lead in this role. As outlined in her contribution to the November 2018 AASP Newsletter, she has taken on the challenge to help AASP become a model to other sport organizations, establishing an inclusive and equitable culture aligned with the organization’s mission and values.
It has been a privilege to work with Dr. Carter and other AASP leaders like President Traci Statler, Diversity Committee Chair Rob Owens, and Scientific Program Division Head Angie Fifer on the many initiatives that have already been proposed, approved, and implemented. AASP members took a leap, so to speak, at the Business Meeting in Toronto – and this has resulted in major momentum for the organization. New voices are being heard and new goals have been created and integrated into the new strategic plan. Moreover, new allies, resources, events, and forums are being sought for cultivating diversity and inclusion within and outside of AASP. These steps, all initiated by a major change within the organization, are indeed allowing AASP to serve as an exemplary model for other sport associations.
In line with these organizational changes, it is exciting to see how AASP, recognized as a key international sport and exercise psychology organization, will be represented at the 15th European Congress of Sport & Exercise Psychology in Muenster, Germany. Many individual AASP members will present at the 2019 FEPSAC Congress, contributing to a diverse program that will bring together sport psychology researchers and practitioners from all over the world. Chaired by Past-President Amy Baltzell, a distinguished panel of internationally renowned experts will present in an AASP Invited Symposium. Furthermore, Leeja Carter, Rob Owens, Ale Quartiroli, and Diane Gill will share their insights on AASP’s journey toward diversity and inclusion, representing an exciting opportunity to make a difference on a global stage and share best practices.
In an effort to increase diversity-related content in featured articles of the AASP Newsletter, we are reaching out to AASP Committees and the 28 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for contributions. These member-driven groups help advance the organization and the field of sport and exercise psychology and reflect the broad range of expertise within the association. I want to take the opportunity to thank all contributors as well as the members of the Newsletter Committee for their great work and effort. If you would like to contribute to the ASSP newsletter, please email me at s.brueckner@uni-muenster.de.
