The ACL Motive

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05/26/2026

This message is honestly too good not to share…

Most people in the ACL rehab world will tell you:
“By 6 weeks you should be here.”
“By 12 weeks you should be doing this.”
“You’ll be cleared by X month.”

And while timelines can give general guidance they do NOT tell the full story.

Because ACL rehab is messy.And no, that doesn’t mean navigating those bumps in the road is fun.

Some days it absolutely sucks.Some days you’re ugly crying in your car outside the gym.

That does NOT automatically mean you’re behind or failing.

If you actually want to get through recovery without losing your mind, you have to stop treating every flare-up or hard day like proof something is wrong.

The real goal is learning how to stack consistent days instead of chasing perfect ones because recovery is rarely as clean and predictable as people make it sound online.

If this sounds like where you’re at right now, comment 🙋🏽‍♀️
and follow along for more honest ACL rehab guidance.

05/25/2026

Some times the only way out is through!
Keep going.

You’re going to struggle or you may be there now.
Keep going.

You’re going to feel more like yourself and you may want to stop.
Keep going.

You may be unsure of whether there is an end in sight.
Keep going.

Not every ACL journey has one clean missing puzzle piece. Some times it’s very clear. But some times it’s not.

Just keep going!

05/23/2026

One thing I’ve learned both as a coach/provider and as someone who’s gone through this myself is that you cannot constantly pour into everyone else while completely neglecting yourself.

And honestly, one of the biggest things I try to help my clients do during ACL recovery is learn how to make themselves a priority again.

Not perfectly. And Not in an all-or-nothing way.
Just consistently.

when you continue showing up for yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally things usually end up being okay, even when recovery feels messy.

Even when life feels heavy or when progress isn’t linear, let this be your reminder that self-care isn’t selfish AND you are equally worthy of the support, patience, and kindness you often give everyone else.

05/22/2026

Using time alone to decide when to start running after ACL surgery is like building a house and removing the scaffolding just because “it’s been long enough.”

If the foundation still isn’t strong enough underneath, the whole thing starts to crack once real stress gets added.

That’s what happens when people get cleared to run based only on the calendar.

running isn’t just a milestone.It’s repeated single-leg loading, force absorption, and impact tolerance over and over again.

Don’t let those protocols or the surgeon clearance fool you!

Catching all the rays we can get with some of our fav people ☀️A little bit of reading, biking, art, good conversation w...
05/17/2026

Catching all the rays we can get with some of our fav people ☀️
A little bit of reading, biking, art, good conversation with board games , and slowing down for a second 💜

05/16/2026

Pain is information!!

Don’t let it run the show. Use it as the information it truly is.
Progress stalls when we avoid pain at all costs.
We need to find ways to grade exposure into the thing you want to do but know that waiting til there is zero pain won’t get you there!

05/15/2026

There are two types of athletes I see after ACL surgery.

The first athlete starts taking their foot off the gas around months 3–6.

Pain calms down.Running starts.Life feels more normal again. And they start taking more risk.
So they stop pushing.

They stop strength training hard.Stop progressing.Start coasting because they feel better.

But feeling better isn’t the same thing as being ready.

Then there’s the second athlete.

The one who keeps pressing the gas pedal.

She leans in harder.keeps building strength and expose themselves to harder things.They train like someone who actually wants to return to sport confidently.

And surprise surprise…
those are usually the athletes that return looking powerful, confident, resilient, and actually prepared for the demands of sport instead of constantly dealing with little flare-ups and wondering why their knee still feels “off.”

My best advice?

Don’t mistake “feeling better” for being fully prepared for your sport again.The middle phase of rehab is where a LOT of people stop pushing.

And it’s also where a lot of long-term problems start.

You need continued progression, accountability, and exposure to harder things even when your knee starts feeling pretty good.

05/14/2026

I firmly believe strength training for female teen athletes should become a non-negotiable.

Especially at the club soccer level.

Because we cannot continue asking girls to tolerate year-round practices, showcases, tournaments, endless conditioning drills, and high sport demands without adequately physically preparing them alongside it.

Especially when many of their coaches were never formally educated in strength & conditioning, load management, or long-term athlete development.

There’s a reason why at the professional level you see:
strength coaches,performance teams,sports medicine staff,position-specific coaches.
Having people educated in those areas improves athlete development.

And no, strength training is not a guarantee against injury.
But it CAN reduce injury risk, reduce time spent on the bench, and better prepare athletes for the demands of their sport.

Female athletes deserve better than simply being run into the ground and hoping their bodies tolerate it.
Strength training should not be viewed as “extra.”

It should be viewed as part of athlete development.

Thoughts? 👇🏽

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