Current Role Working With The Athletic Population

Being a university clinic, I see a high volume of what is thought of as the "athletic" population (college/high school athletes, weekend warriors, etc.). I would say that currently, I see around 50% athletes. We see a fair amount of CrossFit, local high school sports athletes, and of course college athletes. The faculty in our PT program is rather well known for their research in ACL injuries, so we see a relatively high volume of patients with knee and ACL injuries as well. That said, my personal bias is that that the skills that are relevant to the stereotype "athlete" (strength, power, change of direction ability, strength-endurance, even speed) are relative to older adults and those others who aren't typically considered athletes. These qualities can (and I believe should) be applied universally. So in that sense, 100% of the people I work with are athletes!

Professional Philosophy

I alluded to this already, but I think that humans are athletes and should be treated as such. That is not to say that clinicians should treat everyone the same but I believe humans are routinely underdosed, especially older adults! Fundamentally, I believe that often times, injuries come from doing too much too soon, or not doing enough for a long time. As a rehab professional, my job then is to mitigate the symptoms and then progressively build up tolerance to activity. I also believe that as rehab professionals we should be tasked with empowering patients and equipping them with the tools they need to help effectively manage symptoms/weaknesses independently (at the right time). I would be happy to expound on this if there are questions! Thank you for this platform to share my views!

Athletic Background

I played baseball for the first 14 years of my life. After my baseball career came to end, I became passionate about strength and conditioning. For several years in undergrad and grad school I experimented with numerous training modes including bodybuilding, gymnastics/calisthenics, kettlebell, and powerlifting. I stumbled upon CrossFit earlier in 2019 and I haven't looked back! I fell in love with the intensity and the community and I'm so excited for the journey. I've entered in a couple of local competitions and plan on doing a few each year as I continue to learn. I love all things strength-related, so I can't rule out a powerlifting competition in the future, but more than anything else I'm excited for the journey!

Academic Background and Professional Training

I graduated from Eastern University in 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science. I graduated from University of Delaware Physical Therapy school in 2017 with a DPT and a Masters in Anatomy in Health Science. I graduated from University of Delaware's Sports Residency program in 2019.

Additional Information