Human Kinetics Journals

In 1973, Dr. Rainer Martens, a kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois, attended the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Conference. Recognizing the importance of publishing the conference proceedings, but finding no interested publishers, Dr. Martens and his wife, Marilyn, created Human Kinetics in 1974, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, USA.

For more than 40 years, Human Kinetics has grown by reinvesting earnings and expanding into new areas, including higher education, continuing education, coach education, and much more. The company is organized into three pisions: Academic, Consumer and Professional, and Journals. Our Journals Division publishes 27 peer-reviewed publications to provide quality, cutting-edge information for use by professors, teachers, researchers, practitioners, health care professionals, coaches, fitness enthusiasts, and many others. Our scholarly journals provide the latest research, and our professional publications offer practical information on applying that research. Our journals are led by widely recognized and respected editors and undergo rigorous editorial scrutiny to ensure that readers receive the information they need clearly and accurately.

In 2005, Dr. Martens sold Human Kinetics to his employees as part of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Today, the company is still headquartered in Champaign, IL, and operates international offices in Canada and the United Kingdom.