Return to play
It is very important that all our clients and prospective clients know that we are NOT physical therapists, athletic trainers, or medical doctors and make absolutely NO claims to be. We do no treat, diagnose, or rehabilitate injuries. Return to play is a sport performance training program, it is not physical therapy, and it is not a substitute for medical clearance from your physician or the rehab program prescribed by your physical therapist/healthcare provider.
Before beginning this program, your athlete must have been released from active medical treatment and cleared for physical activity by their doctor or physical therapist. If your athlete is still in active treatment or has not been medically cleared, we encourage you to continue working with your healthcare provider first. We’re happy to coordinate with them once you’re ready for this next step!
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN REHAB AND PERFORMANCE
ELP’s Return to Play program is built for the athlete who has completed their physical therapy and has received medical clearance to take that the next step - getting back to full speed, full strength, and full confidence on the field or court.
We work alongside you/your child’s healthcare providers - not in place of - to close the gap between “cleared to play” and actually being game ready.
why this matters
Medical clearance means an athlete’s injury has healed enough for the doctor to permit a return to activity. However, it doesn’t always mean they’ve fully regained the “game ready” strength, movement or neurological control they had before a injury. It also doesn’t mean they’ve fully regained the confidence to plant, cut, jump or compete at full speed without hesitation.
That gap is important to close both physically and mentally. That gap is where we see athletes quietly lose a step, avoid contact, play tentatively or possibly run the risk of re-injury even after they were technically “cleared”.
Our Return to Play program helps close that gap.
who this is for
Athletes (MS/HS/College/Pro) who have recently been released from physical therapy and/or have received medical clearance from their doctor to resume physical activity.
Athletes returning to sport after a surgical procedure (ACL, labrum, growth plate, etc.)
Athletes who were cleared by their doctor but still feel “off”, hesitant, or not fully like themselves in their strength/power/speed.
Parents who want a structured bridge between rehab and full competitive training, rather than sending their athlete straight back to practice.
OUR APPROACH
This program uses the same principles as our primary training programs -rooted in training the nervous system’s control over the muscle, not just building strength in isolation - but with a much more technical and modified approach to match their specific needs while adhering to any restrictions set forth by their healthcare team.
Many times after an injury or surgery, that neurological connection that allows the brain to “take the breaks off” can be the last piece to fully recover, even after the tissue has healed and strength has returned on paper. Our program is built around indentifying where the “brakes are still on”, where that control is still compromised and rebuilding it systematically, so your athlete isn’t just “strong enough” to play, they’re better than were they were before the injury.
In certain circumstances there may still be restrictions set in place by the doctor/PT. Our team will ALWAYS follow all restrictions/modification requirements set forth by your healthcare. Under no circumstances will we deviate from those restrictions!
next steps
As with all of our athlete performance training programs, we begin with an initial evaluation. This is a critical part of our process that allows us to not only get baseline information on your athlete, but provides us the opportunity to sit down and discuss in greater detail the needs of your athlete and put a game plan together moving forward.
If you or your athlete has been medically cleared and is ready to move to the next steps beyond rehab, we’re here to help.
For more information please contact us at here, via email at info@elitelevelperformance.com or at 901-910-8144.