If you are interested in sports conditioning, with a concentration in youth-specific training, consider these options:
As ichbinba has said, the NSCA's C.S.C.S. credential is widely recognized. For this one you need a 4-year degree (in any field) from an accredited university. This is not a youth-specific option; however, I think one could enroll in appropriate Continuing Education or specialization courses to cover those topics. Other options you could consider are NASM's Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and ISSA's Sport Conditioning Specialist (SSC). As their name implies, both of these "specialization" certifications require that one already possess a fitness trainer certification from a recognized organization, or a degree in a health and fitness-related field. The ISSA also offers a Youth Fitness Trainer (YFT) certification at the same level of their Certified Fitness Trainer (CFT) certification; that means that you could use the YFT as an entry point for their SSC certification.
NASM's PES page:
http://www.nasm.org/Certification/pes.aspx
ISSA's home page:
http://www.issaonline.com
ISSA's YFT program:
http://www.youthfitness.com/
As far as I know, the ACSM doesn't offer certifications targeted at sports or youth conditioning; their focus is on the health, fitness, and clinical applications of exercise. I guess it should be possible to use their certifications as entry points for other specialization certifications, but all of them, excluding their certified Personal Trainer (cPT) one, require a university degree in a health-related field.
For youth conditioning programs, you might want to investigate the offerings of the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA). This forum's very own Brian Grasso, Bill Hartman, and John Berardi are part of the Board of Directors of this association:
http://www.iyca.org
It would behoove you to know as well that some organizations require you to attend a workshop or seminar in order to earn certification.
Regarding costs:
If you choose the NSCA-CC as your certification agency, it would be a good strategy to become a member of the NSCA first: besides receiving a number of journals and other useful resources and benefits, you would be able to take advantage of significant member discounts in exam fees and preparation materials.
NSCA - Certification information:
http://www.nsca-cc.org
NSCA - Membership information:
http://www.nsca-lift.org
Keep in mind that, in the case of NSCA, exam fees are separate from the cost of preparation materials and workshops. As an effect of being NCCA-accredited, the NSCA can't advertise that one *requires* to purchase and study with their preparation materials to pass their exam; it should be possible for anyone to take (and possibly pass) their exam without using those specific resources. That is also the case for NASM's Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification, which has just obtained accreditation from the NCCA (I'm not sure whether this applies to their PES certification as well.) Here's the C.S.C.S. study guide, which includes a list of recommended readings:
http://nsca-cc.org/downloads/Study_CSCS.pdf
The ISSA's programs are not NCCA-accredited, and they do require that one purchase (and study with) their preparation materials. This is part of the issue that you might want to consider before arriving at a decision, taking into account the industry's ongoing discussion regarding NCCA-accredited organizations, on one hand, and the NBFE (National Board of Fitness Examiners)-affiliated organizations on the other, which has been presented previously in this thread:
http://forums.jpfitness.com/showflat...32/an/0/page/0
Other thing you might need to consider is the availability of exam and workshop locations and dates. The NSCA, for example, has fixed exam locations and dates, which might not give you adequate time to study and prepare. I believe that the ACSM and the NASM use computer-based exams that give you more freedom when it comes to selecting the date and location in which you might want to take the exam. ISSA's exams offer the most freedom: they can be taken online, or mailed in (but these exam formats lessen the credibility of their certifications, according to some people.)
With all that being said, expect to pay $500-700 for any of these certifications. That would include exams fees and preparation materials and events, if you need them (books, videos, practice exams, workshops, etc.)
Most organizations require trainers to periodically renew their certifications, generally every two years, and for that it is necessary to fulfill a predetermined number of Continuing Education Credits (CEC), or Units (CEU). Take a look at which CE courses are available (including their prices) at each organization and at third-party providers. Pay special attention to the third-party courses you might be interested in, since it may happen that your chosen organization doesn't accept some of the them; generally, however, when a course is not accepted directly, you can send a petition to your organization and get it approved. For an example of the available CE courses, check the sites of these providers:
Human Kinetics Online Education Center (here you can browse the courses accepted by each particular organization)
http://www.hkeducationcenter.com/courseCatalog.cfm
Personal Training on the Net
http://www.ptonthenet.com/
The ISSA, and possibly other organizations, accept college credits as CEUs, which would help you if you are a student in a health-related field.
With all these issues in mind, this would be the order of my preferences for sports conditioning certifications: NSCA, NASM, and ISSA. You could complement any of those with the programs provided by the IYCA, and, of course, by extensive reading on your part on the many topics that are of interest to any serious, professional trainer.
Attn: Certification Information
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