Micheal Clark

Micheal A. Clark is an American physical therapist. He is the president and CEO of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He joined NASM as a partner in 2000, and is recognized as the creator of the Optimum Performance Training method used by health and fitness professionals worldwide.

He is the team physical therapist to the NBA's Phoenix Suns. He is adjunct faculty member for the master’s of science in injury prevention and performance enhancement at the California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pennsylvania.

Early life and education

Clark earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, a Master of science in Human Movement from the University of North Carolina and a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Rocky Mountain University in Provo, Utah.

Career

Clark has worked for professional and amateur athletes including Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito, NBA MVPs, NBA All Stars, NFL All Pros, Olympic gold medalists and hall of fame athletes, World's Strongest Man, A-list celebrities, and professional soccer players.

Clark was a physical therapist for the St. Lucia national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics and Team USA Boxing at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Books

• NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training (Lippincott/Williams & Wilkins, 2007)
• Optimum Performance Training: Basketball (HarperCollins, 2006)
• “Advanced Stabilization-Training for Performance Enhancement,” (Chapter 29) Rehabilitation of the Spine: A Practitioner's Manual (Lippincott/Williams & Wilkins, 2006)
• Core Stabilization Training in Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation Techniques in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training (McGraw-Hill, 2004)