The Performance Doc

This is exactly why I make my return-to-sport athletes send me film.

This is one of my collegiate basketball players coming back from ACL reconstruction. In the clinic, she looks ready. Strength is there, and we’ve been working on jumping and deceleration for weeks.

Then I watched her on the court.

During a right-handed layup, she’s jumping off of her right foot. She takes extra steps just to avoid loading the surgical leg, and when she does load it, she puts less weight through it and gets off it fast. You can even catch her dragging the left leg during lateral movements.

This is the gap between cleared and ready. Her tissue is healed and her numbers test fine, but the second she’s in her actual environment, she’s still protecting the leg. If the only place you see your athletes during return to sport is the clinic, you’re missing the most important data in the entire rehab process.

Have them send film. Go to a practice. Watch them move where the outcome actually happens.