ANSI Accredits CrossFit Under Certificate Accreditation Program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment systems, is pleased to announce that CrossFit has been accredited under the Institute's Certificate Accreditation Program (ANSI-CAP). The ANSI accreditation has been awarded to CrossFit's Level 1 Trainer Certificate Course. CrossFit is the first in the fitness industry to distinguish its certificate training program from others in the field.

CrossFit is an open source, international business dedicated to the improvement of human health and athletic performance. It is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies, tactical operations teams, military special operations units, and professional athletes worldwide. The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability that facilitates the development of individuals at any ability level. CrossFit's foundation is based upon precisely defining fitness in a way that can be measured, observed, and repeated.

"ANSI commends CrossFit for achieving accreditation under ANSI-CAP and demonstrating their commitment to the continual improvement of their certificate programs," said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. "Accreditation under ANSI-CAP helps to assure integrity and consistency within the credentialing field, and helps to bolster a more robust and qualified workforce. CrossFit now has a concrete way to show students and customers that its certificates represent the best in quality education and training."

Launched in 2009, ANSI-CAP accredits organizations that issue education and training certificates to the U.S. workforce. The program is the first of its kind to offer a formal, third-party process for review and recognition of quality certificate programs. ANSI-CAP provides neutral, third-party attestation that a given certificate program meets ASTM E2659-09, Standard Practice for Certificate Programs, an American National Standard developed by ASTM International. By demonstrating compliance to this standard, accredited certificate programs further the development of a well-educated and qualified workforce, a chief goal of the Obama Administration.

ANSI-CAP also provides quality benchmarks for the design of future certificate programs. With these benchmarks, workers and employers are better able to determine the value and meaning of training and educational certificates, helping to boost the overall quality of the American workforce.

ANSI Accredits CrossFit under Certificate Accreditation Program

"We're proud to be accredited by ANSI. We consider this a hallmark achievement for our organization, recognizing a level of quality and credibility for our community and the trainers that make a livelihood in the fitness profession. This certificate is just one step in our ongoing commitment to ensuring CrossFit brings a reliable and recognized program to anyone interested in improving their health and fitness," commented Nicole Carroll, CrossFit's certification director.

ANSI-CAP follows the accreditation process outlined in the international standard ISO/IEC 17011, General Requirements for Accreditation Bodies Accrediting Conformity Assessment Bodies. This process includes using specially trained assessors to review documents submitted by applicants against defined requirements, conduct on-site assessments, and make recommendations to the ANSI-CAP Accreditation Committee that is responsible for making the accreditation decisions.

CrossFit Inc. joins eight other organizations that have received accreditation under ANSI-CAP.

Questions about ANSI-CAP can be directed to Turan Ayvaz, program manager, Certificate Accreditation Program (tayvaz@ansi.org; 202.331.3635).

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.  

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

SOURCE American National Standards Institute