Sports Physical Therapy

We designed every aspect of our services around the unique needs of children, teens and young adults. Because their bodies are still growing, youth athletes play – and recover – differently compared to adults. We specialize in rehabilitating athletes ages 8 and older, getting them back to the sport they love safely and quickly, while being mindful of how their bodies will change and grow.

Sports physical therapists (PTs) are an extension of Phoenix Children’s sports medicine team. Our sports physical therapists specialize in ACL rehabilitation and are experts in helping athletes regain strength, balance and range of motion after surgery. We tailor sports PT around the unique demands of your athlete’s sport, so they can return to it safely.

You can count on us for:

• Custom pediatric sports physical therapy: We offer tailored treatments designed exclusively for youth athletes’ unique developmental orthopedic needs.
• Specialty trained sports physical therapists: Your child will work with experts who specialize in sports rehabilitation. Our team includes physical therapists with advanced board certifications in orthopedics and sports, ensuring every athlete receives the highest level of care.
• Collaborative care for youth athletes: We work with top pediatric orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians and athletic trainers to provide seamless, coordinated care.
• Specialized, post-surgery ACL rehabilitation: Our expert team follows evidence-based, sport-specific protocols to rebuild strength, stability and confidence after ACL reconstruction. Every athlete progresses through structured return-to-sport testing to ensure complete readiness and reduce the risk of injury.

Even if your young athlete isn’t a current patient at Phoenix Children’s, their doctor can refer them here for Sports Physical Therapy and return-to-play support. Our goal is to help players get better – and stay better – in peak form, free from injury.

Different sports challenge growing athletes in different ways. The quick direction changes in soccer, the overhead power of a volleyball serve, the explosive jumps of a gymnast or the rotational strength behind a baseball pitch all place very different demands on youth athletes. At Phoenix Children’s Sports Physical Therapy, we understand those differences – and we design our treatment around them.

Our team has advanced training in sports performance and injury rehabilitation across a wide range of athletic disciplines. Many of our sports physical therapists were collegiate or competitive athletes themselves. They bring firsthand knowledge of what it feels like to train, compete and recover, both physically and mentally. This background allows us to develop treatment programs that are not only effective, but also realistic for the athlete’s level, season and position.

We take pride in combining this real-world athletic experience with the latest evidence-based techniques in sports medicine. Each plan of care focuses on restoring strength, mobility and confidence, while helping athletes reduce injury risk and return to sport safely at peak performance.

We specialize in sport-specific evaluation and rehabilitation for athletes in:

• Baseball and softball: Targeted programs for throwing athletes to improve shoulder and elbow health, rotational power and total-body coordination
• Basketball and volleyball: Jump and landing retraining, shoulder and knee injury prevention and agility development for multidirectional court movement
• Dance and figure skating: Individualized plans for balance and strength to support artistic movement and prevent overuse injuries
• Football and rugby: Training for agility, balance and power with an emphasis on tackling form, lower-body stability and return-to-play readiness after contact injuries
• Gymnastics and cheerleading: Focuses on flexibility, core stability, joint control and safe landing mechanics to prevent overuse and impact-related injuries
• Soccer: Strength and control programs for hips, knees and ankles to support cutting, sprinting and kicking mechanics while preventing common injuries like ACL tears
• Swimming: Shoulder health, core control and technique optimization to support endurance and reduce strain from repetitive overhead motion
• Track and field, and running: Analysis of stride mechanics, training load and footwear to prevent overuse injuries, including stress fractures and shin splints

We also collaborate closely with athletic trainers, coaches, physicians and families to ensure a smooth transition from rehabilitation back to full participation. Our goal isn’t just to get athletes back to playing – it’s to help them move better, feel stronger and perform with confidence long after their injury has healed.

Whether your child is a youth athlete discovering their sport or a high school or collegiate competitor pushing for peak performance, our team is here to guide them every step of the way through their recovery and development.

We offer four convenient locations with flexible before- and after-school hours, making it easy for families to get care that fits their schedules. Each facility has state-of-the-art sports-performance and strength-training equipment tailored for young athletes. Our expert staff teaches safe, effective training techniques that build lifelong skills in strength, movement and injury prevention. Athletes can walk, run, pitch, swing and train in dynamic, youth-focused environments alongside their peers.

Our sports medicine and sports physical therapy teams collaborate with athletes, coaches, families and teams. Areas of focus include injury prevention and understanding concussion, as well as how to train and compete at a high level. You’ll find us involved in:

• Club sports: Support for soccer, baseball, football, rugby and softball clubs
• High school athletics: Athletic training services for school sports and medical direction for around 30 high schools across the Valley