Let me take care of your ACL Rehab
I am experienced in ACL Rehab with very good clinical and return to sport outcomes. I am networked with an amazing care team of Sports Medicine Professionals. Together, we leave no stone unturned and provide the care you need to get back to doing what you love. Book a consultation to chat about this process.
A comprehensive approach to getting athletes back to their sport
ACL rehabilitation should not end when an athlete is discharged from physiotherapy or cleared to begin continuous running.
Returning to sport requires the systematic restoration of strength, power, jumping and landing ability, speed, deceleration, change of direction, conditioning and ultimately the ability to tolerate the unpredictable demands of sport.
That is where I come in. I am both a Kinesiologist & a Strength & Conditioning Coach with over 28 years of experience.
I am both a practitioner and educator in ACL rehabilitation and return to sport.
Lecturer in Biomedical Physiology & Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University.
Strength & Conditioning Coach and Kinesiologist with decades of experience developing athletes.
Creator of the fully online ACL Rehab from A–Z course for coaches and rehabilitation professionals - recognized for continuing education credits by the NSCA, NATA and Ontario Athletic Therapists Association.
I continually review the current ACL rehabilitation, strength & conditioning and return-to-sport research and integrate it into my methodology.
My services are available to athletes and families looking for a structured path from rehabilitation to performance.
For more information on my 9-module comprehensive course, please click below. All participants will receive lifetime access to the course.
I UNDERSTAND PERFORMANCE
Returning to sport requires much more than achieving acceptable strength symmetry or completing a standard hop-test battery. Athletes must regain the ability to:
Produce and absorb high levels of force
Accelerate and sprint at high velocities
Jump, land and rebound effectively
Decelerate from progressively higher speeds
Cut and change direction
React to unpredictable environments
Repeat high-intensity efforts under fatigue
Tolerate the training and competition demands of their sport
These are performance qualities, and developing them requires expertise in sport science, strength & conditioning, biomechanics, exercise prescription and long-term athlete development.
WHY MY APPROACH IS DIFFERENT
ACL rehabilitation eventually has to become athletic performance training. I am a Sport Scientist and practicing Kinesiologist, with extensive experience in strength & conditioning and athlete development. That means I approach late-stage ACL rehabilitation not only from the perspective of restoring the knee, but from the perspective of rebuilding the athlete.
My job is to bridge the gap between clinical rehabilitation and the actual physical demands of competitive sport.
TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS US MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
I have also partnered with two leading sport-performance technology companies, PLYOMAT and Exerfly, to bring advanced testing and training technology into the ACL return-to-performance process.
PLYOMAT allows me to objectively assess important qualities such as jumping, landing, reactive strength and lower-body performance throughout rehabilitation. Rather than relying only on how an athlete looks or how much time has passed since surgery, we can track how their physical abilities are actually changing.
Exerfly provides advanced flywheel resistance technology that can be integrated into strength, power and return-to-performance training. This gives me another tool for progressively exposing athletes to the forces and physical demands they will eventually need to tolerate in sport.
Technology does not replace coaching or clinical judgment. It gives us better information and better tools to make decisions.
HOW THE ACL PROGRAM WORKS
1. PHYSIOTHERAPY + PERFORMANCE REHAB MUST WORK TOGETHER
I do not accept ACL athletes into the program without appropriate physiotherapy involvement.
Athletes must either:
Work with a physiotherapist from my trusted rehabilitation network; or
Be referred by a physiotherapist with whom I am comfortable collaborating - not all have worked in high level sport.
Your physiotherapist remains an important part of the rehabilitation team throughout the process.
As the athlete progresses beyond early-stage rehabilitation, I take primary responsibility for the exercise prescription related to restoring athletic capacity and returning to sport, while maintaining communication with the physiotherapist regarding progress, symptoms, testing and clinical considerations. We are a TEAM.
2. WE TYPICALLY BEGIN AROUND WEEK 10
My involvement generally begins around Week 10 following ACL reconstruction, near the completion of early-stage rehabilitation.
The exact starting point is determined by the athlete's:
Surgical procedure and graft type
Healing and clinical presentation
Range of motion
Effusion and pain
Movement capacity
Physiotherapist & surgeon recommendations
From there, rehabilitation progressively begins to look more like a comprehensive strength & conditioning program.
3. MINIMUM COMMITMENT: ONCE PER WEEK UNTIL RETURN TO SPORT
ACL rehabilitation is not a collection of random exercises or occasional appointments.
Athletes entering this program must commit to a minimum of one supervised session per week, generally from approximately Week 10 until return to sport.
Depending on the athlete and sport, this process can extend well beyond 12 months following surgery.
The goal is not to meet an arbitrary timeline.
The goal is to restore the physical qualities required to perform the sport safely and effectively and this takes longer if the athlete has no structured strength & conditioning experience.
4. PEDIATRIC ACL CASES REQUIRE PARENT INVOLVEMENT
For younger athletes, rehabilitation must be a family commitment.
Parents must be willing to:
Understand the rehabilitation plan (yes, they can come to the appts)
Help establish consistent training habits
Support completion of prescribed exercises between sessions
Monitor adherence
Communicate concerns
When appropriate, perform or participate in the rehabilitation exercises alongside their child
A young athlete should not be expected to independently manage a year-long rehabilitation process.
Successful pediatric ACL rehabilitation requires an engaged athlete, an engaged parent and a coordinated rehabilitation team.
What is Included?
#1. Individualized Exercise Prescription
Programming progresses according to the athlete's abilities and rehabilitation stage and may include:
Lower-body strength development
Quadriceps and hamstring capacity
Hip, ankle and trunk development
Isometric training
Eccentric and concentric strength
Unilateral strength
Power development
Plyometric preparation
Landing mechanics
Conditioning
Sport-specific physical preparation
#2. Follow Along Training App
Athletes receive their individualized training program through a follow-along training app, allowing them to complete their prescribed rehabilitation between supervised sessions.
The APP provides:
Exercise instructions
Training structure
Sets, repetitions and loading
Progressions
Accountability
A clear plan for what needs to be completed away from our sessions
What happens between appointments matters.
#3. Periodic Testing
Return-to-sport decisions should not be based on time since surgery. Athletes under my care are periodically assessed through the process.
Balance & Movement Competency
Single-leg capacity
Jump performance
Reactive strength
Landing & deceleration ability
Asymmetries
Sprint mechanics assessment
Cutting movement assessment
Sport-specific physical capacity testing
Reports are provided. Testing helps determine what the athlete is ready for and what still needs to be developed.
The Investment
Comprehensive ACL rehabilitation is a significant commitment of both time and financial resources.
With weekly supervised sessions, programming, testing and a rehabilitation process that may continue for many months, families should understand that the total investment can exceed $5,000.
This program is therefore best suited for athletes and families who are prepared to commit to the entire process rather than seeking occasional sessions or short-term exercise programming.
ACL rehabilitation is a long-term investment in returning the athlete to the sport they love — with the physical capacity to perform it.
Who is this program for?
This program is designed for athletes who:
Want to return to competitive sport following ACL reconstruction.
Are prepared to train consistently and have access to a gym and basic equipment.
Want objective testing rather than clearance based on time alone.
Need a structured transition from physiotherapy to athletic performance.
Are willing to complete programming outside supervised sessions.
Have a physiotherapist who will collaborate as part of the rehabilitation team and share the same philosophy based on the most current & reliable science.
Want their running, jumping, cutting, deceleration and sport-specific movement progressively rebuilt before returning to unrestricted competition