Return to Sport Protocol

The mind heals on
its own schedule.

A 12-month mental performance protocol for athletes recovering from ACL tears, Tommy John surgery, and other long-term injuries.

Start the Protocol
A person holding their knee in pain, with their hand on the knee and other hand supporting the leg, outdoors during daytime.

ACL recovery is one of the most common, and most mentally demanding, injuries in sport.

Nearly 200,000 ACL tears occur every year in the United States, with roughly 300,000 ACL reconstruction surgeries performed annually, a number that continues to climb, particularly among young athletes. ACL reconstructions in children and adolescents increased almost sixfold between 2004 and 2014, driven by year-round sport specialization and higher-intensity training at younger ages.

Everyone talks about the physical timeline. Nobody talks about the mental game.

In one study of ACL reconstruction patients, those with higher levels of fear were 13 times more likely to suffer a second ACL tear within two years of returning to sport than those who were less fearful. After ACL reconstruction, 45% of athletes did not return to competitive play and psychological readiness was cited as the primary barrier.

Read that again: nearly half of athletes who complete the physical recovery never make it back. Not because their knee isn't ready. Because their mind isn't.

ACL recovery isn't just a physical process. It never was. The mental game of returning to sport is one of the hardest things an athlete will face and it deserves the same focused attention as physical therapy.

That's exactly what this Return to Sport Protocol was built for.

A girl playing volleyball indoors, preparing to serve with her arms raised and a volleyball in the air.

An ACL tear doesn't just injure your knee. It injures your identity.

When sport is taken away, athletes lose more than game time. They lose a sense of who they are. The physical recovery gets all the attention but the mental game is equally demanding, and almost nobody talks about it.

This protocol was built around the real mental terrain of long-term recovery — the fear, the comparison, the low points between months 2 and 3, the 6-month lull when your body feels better but you still can't play.

Work With Us
A woman in white athletic clothing and sneakers running outdoors on grass with a cloudy sky background.

What athletes actually face

Poster with a brain illustration, caption reads 'Identity questions', mentioning that athletes define themselves through sport when they can't play.
A graph illustrating a decline labeled 'The 2-3 month dip' with text below stating 'Motivation craters right when you still have months to go. Low points that feel permanent.'
Sad face icon with the text 'Attacking thoughts' and description 'Negative self-talk hits hardest in the early weeks. Fear of re-injury, fear of irrelevance.'
Simple line drawing of two people with the caption 'Comparison to others' and text about watching teammates progress faster during recovery.
A calendar with a clock showing an hour, and text titled 'The void of time', explaining that hours used for training are now empty, symbolizing grief.
An icon of a low battery with a lightning bolt, captioned 'The 6-month lull,' indicating low energy and mental fatigue.

12 months. One session per month.

Built for the long game.

A detailed infographic outlining a timeline for recovery or personal development in sports over 12 months. It includes five phases: Months 1-2 Foundation, Months 2-4 The Low Point, Months 5-7 The Long Middle, Months 8-10 Re-Entry, and Months 11-12 Return to Sport, each with descriptions of goals and focus areas.
A detailed infographic outlining a timeline for recovery or personal development in sports over 12 months. It includes five phases: Months 1-2 Foundation, Months 2-4 The Low Point, Months 5-7 The Long Middle, Months 8-10 Re-Entry, and Months 11-12 Return to Sport, each with descriptions of goals and focus areas.

Each month maps to where you actually are in recovery, not a generic mental skills curriculum, but a protocol shaped by the real emotional arc of a long-term injury.

This protocol is for you if you’re an athlete coming back from…

Diagram illustrating an ACL tear, showing a bent knee with a tear line, accompanied by text about ACL tear causes and mental focus for athletes.
A sign promoting Tommy John surgery for baseball and softball athletes aged 12 to 18, emphasizing mental health and arm protection.
Graphic of a person holding their hip with text about hip labrum repair and recovery challenges.
Informational poster about long-term injury prevention, with a medical kit icon and text about staying away from sports for mental health during months of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. Sessions are conducted virtually, so athletes from anywhere can participate in the protocol.

  • You can start at any point. The protocol is most powerful when started early, but athletes who are 3, 6, or even 9 months in find significant value in joining and working through the remaining phases.

  • Not at all. This protocol addresses the mental side of recovery and works alongside your physical rehabilitation. We work with what's happening in your head. Your PT handles what's happening in your body.

  • Yes. We work with parents and coaches who want to provide mental performance support for their injured athlete. We'll get the right person in the right sessions.

You can come back stronger.
Not just physically.

The Return to Sport Protocol gives you the mental tools to make this the best thing that ever happened to your career.

Learn more

Have questions? Contact us!

Contact About Return to Sport Protocol

ScienceInsights. (2026, March 5). How common are ACL tears in sports and young athletes? https://scienceinsights.org/how-common-are-acl-tears-in-sports-and-young-athletes/

Christino, M. (2024, October 29). Not just a physical thing: The psychology of sports injuries and recovery. Boston Children's Hospital. https://answers.childrenshospital.org/psychology-sports-injury-recovery/

Everhart, J. S., Best, T. M., & Flanigan, D. C. (2022). Athlete mental health & psychological impact of sport injury. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 41(3). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1060187222000107