When a professional athlete is injured, there are a lot of details, dilemmas, conflicts, and challenges. I'm part of the team's team—a mix of physicians, trainers, physical therapists, nutritionists, chiropractors, podiatrists, dentists, sports psychologists, and exercise physiologists—which is tasked with navigating these complex issues. Together with the injured athlete, we approach rehabilitation holistically and comprehensively, building synergy between our respective disciplines.
Recovery from any injury follows a template similar to that of daily performance enhancement. We are always progressively creating and meeting new goals and guideposts, elevating physical standards with respect to stamina, strength, and jumping ability by testing the athlete and identifying and correcting weaknesses. This process of forward progression, meeting small goals along the way to our big goal, was coded and recoded in us as we participated in that Darwinian race to survive. This concept of progressive advancement is used in training rooms all the time with professional athletes because it's organic.
The steps of the journey from any injury are fundamentally the same, whether it's your ten-year-old or an NFL quarterback, an Olympian or a middle school soccer player—each follows the same path, despite any incidental differences of specific activity, age, ability, race, or culture: they dare to dream, they rally their spirit, and they keep progressing toward their goals and participating in the sport of life—no matter what.
Is there a challenge in your life that you could attack with the power of progression?