ACL Return to Sport

My daughter is a traveling soccer player who tore her ACL. To get her back to playing I scoured the internet for someone to help me. Fortunately, my friend turned me towards Exercise Innovation and Dave Boyer, an ATC, CSCS and Mental Performance coach right in my backyard. Since working with Coach Dave my daughter is more confident and shows increased athleticism post ACL injury. Coach Dave applies the principles of general strength into his program with progression into additional exercise for improved function through stability and balance. He works on her mental ability throughout the session while doing what he refers to as functional exercise to improve my daughter’s speed and agility. Coach Dave is knowledgeable and even explained to me the results of our performance testing which was performed at our Physical Therapy Clinic which has no relationship to Exercise Innovation. I believe that this program my daughter is involved in has been beneficial in her recovery both physically and mentally. I would recommend it to any athlete who is suffering from an ACL injury and wants to get back to 100%. I even have my other daughter involved as a precaution to reduce an ACL injury.

When I tore my ACL, it was a very challenging time. It leaves you furious, and sometimes hopeless. I was in desperate need for a good performance coach to help me return to my playing shape throughout that tough year of rehabbing. I was then referred to Coach Dave and was willing to try him out with a friend of mine, who also tore her ACL at the same time as me. Turns out, Coach Dave was one of the best strength and conditioning coaches I have ever dealt with. Not only are these workouts challenging and pushes you to work hard, but Dave has a true understanding of the body and the stressors we as athletes put on our bodies. One of the most important aspects, is that he also educates me on proper movement and form I need in order to enhance my stability and balance, by what he referred to as functional strength. I now see my body differently from a physical characteristic. The importance of proper technique and form goes unnoticed by most coaches, however extremely emphasized with Dave which takes this training to a much higher level than the rest. Coach Dave is also a mental performance coach, which I found very beneficial during my progression into sports-related exercise. He was always willing to help me mentally progress my ability in the gym which has transferred over into my skills on the field playing soccer. Getting my starting spot back on my team can be accredited to Dave, as I am much physically stronger after completing his program than I was before my injury ever occurred, and I understand my body and how to maintain stability now on an entirely different level. I strongly would recommend any athlete looking to recover from an ACL injury to seek him out, or any athletes who can benefit from a mental performance coach to overcome any mental setback that may be limiting their abilities!

The versatility of the balance board is what really adds value to our clinic. I use it every day for a variety of diagnosis including those involving upper extremity, lower extremity, and back to aide in strength, stability and coordination. It’s unique design helps place my patients in a functional position applicable to everyday life.