Your child just tore their ACL. You're scared, they're devastated, and the internet is giving you fifty different answers. Here is what matters.
When your child tears their ACL, everything changes in an instant. The season is over. The scholarship conversation shifts. And your kid, who was running full speed yesterday, is suddenly on crutches, dealing with feelings they have never had to deal with before. As a parent, you feel it twice: their pain, and your own helplessness watching it.
“They gave her her life back. And I'll never forget that.”
Understand what was torn, what the graft options look like, and the likely surgery timeline. Write your questions down. You won't remember them all in the moment.
The research supports it: athletes who did extended prehab before surgery had better function, and more of them were back in their sport two years later (Failla et al., 2016). Ask the surgeon whether prehab makes sense for your athlete, and what it should include.
Get the free Prehab GuideYour child just lost something central to who they are. Acknowledge that before you rush to reassure.
You'll choose better if you aren't doing it in a panic the week before surgery.
Follow your surgeon's protocol and keep going to physical therapy. Anything you add should work alongside it, not instead of it.
Underneath it all is the other question. Will I trust this knee again? Will I be the athlete I was? Make room for it.
Traditional PT trains the physical side of recovery. We train the neurological side.
See how The Elite System works“After ACL surgery in March 2022 and many traditional physical therapy sessions, my daughter was still experiencing pain. The pain caused setbacks with her recovery... What an incredible experience. I wish we would have started earlier.”
Can they explain, in plain words, what is happening with the quad?
Do you get one-on-one attention, or is the PT balancing other patients at the same time? Does your PT specialize in ACLs?
Will it work alongside your PT and your surgeon? The good ones say so.
Is there support for confidence and building mental resiliency, not only strength? Trusting the knee again matters as much as the knee.
Are they transparent, and do they set realistic expectations?
“...I watched my son transform the fear and anxiety into a clear vision of a successful future and extend that belief beyond athletics as he prepared for college and a career.”
Make your wishes known to the medical team, but let your child own their recovery. It's normal to feel scared. Your athlete's brain is already protecting them, so they don't need more protection from you. If they're feeling confident, let them build on it.
The first successful shower. Getting into the car without help. One more degree of extension. Running a mile.
Every ACL tear and every body is different. How your athlete's nervous system responds to surgery is always an unknown. Focus on what you can control: putting in the work.
You can't pour from an empty cup, and try not to pour your stress onto your child. Find your own support, too.
He’s back and starting! Thank you for all you’ve done.
Game just ended. I played great and played the first 4 quarters no pain in knee or anywhere. Got d player of the game also. Great feeling after a year out.
Elite ACL works alongside your PT. Our coaches work with your athlete in one-on-one virtual sessions, using the NS1, an FDA-cleared direct current stimulation device.
Every athlete is different. Your surgeon sets the timeline, and your PT leads rehab and return-to-sport testing. Ask them. We work alongside both.
Yes. Sessions are virtual, one-on-one with a coach. Your coach teaches your athlete the NS1 setup and how to use it between sessions, as the coach directs.
No. Elite ACL works alongside your surgeon and physical therapist. Keep doing the care they prescribed.
Each athlete's experience is individual. Outcomes vary and are not guaranteed.
“Evan has a calm and reassuring demeanor that was a great fit for our son to help him overcome some early mental and physical recovery challenges.”
