The practice of Sports Physical Therapy focuses on the comprehensive management of the health and wellness needs of athletic and physically active individuals who are preparing for or participating in sports, or who have been injured in sports and aspire to return to their athletic endeavors.

The Foundation of Sports Physical Therapy Practice is based upon, and consists of, six key practice pillars identified by the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy.  These practice pillars are based upon. The specific competency statements detailed in the 5^th edition of the Sports Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice, by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).

The practice of Sports Physical Therapy considers and encompasses these pillars based on the needs of the individual athlete or team, and the level of training, experience, knowledge, skill, and ability of the individual physical therapist. 

Individual professionals’ clinical practice in Sports Physical Therapy and their use of these pillars are dynamic and may change throughout a Sports Physical Therapist's career.

Prevention of Athletic Injury

• Identification and mitigation of injury risk factors
• Design and provision of evidence-based physical training and conditioning programs

Acute Management of Athletic Injury and Illness

• Understand injury and illness resulting from preparation for, or participation in, training or competition
• Design, develop, and implement necessary policies and emergency action plans
• Provision of acute athletic injury and illness management and emergent care as necessary at the venue, practice/competition site, or clinic.

Sports Rehabilitation and Return to Activity/Play

• Provide post-injury, pre-operative, and post-operative rehabilitation and re-conditioning that enables the injured athlete to return to sports-specific participation following injury at the highest possible level.

Sports Performance

• Assessment of an individual athlete or teams’ current athletic capabilities
• Design and implementation of sport-specific training and conditioning programs to improve and enhance these capabilities

Sports Science

• Application of evidence-based injury prevention, injury management, training, and conditioning methods utilizing technologies that optimize performance, allowing the athlete to participate at their highest possible level
• Integrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities of other sports health professionals with those of a sports physical therapist to best meet the athlete's needs.

Administration and Interprofessional Collaboration

• Develop and implement administrative policies and procedures to assure efficient and safe operations of athletic health care centers, athletic venues, and athlete health and wellness
• Collaborative clinical, research, operational, and educational relationships with other health care professionals and organizations that enhance the athletes’ health and performance.

Who is a Sports Physical Therapist?

A Sports Physical Therapist possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to demonstrate the competencies required to participate in the comprehensive management of health and wellness needs for athletic and physically active individuals. A Sports Physical Therapist works with individuals or teams of any age to prevent injury, design and implement programs to optimize physical function during training and sport, manage athletic injury or illness, or supervise their return to physical activity/sport following injury or illness.  A Sports Physical Therapist may practice in a clinic with specialized equipment or in unique settings such as fitness gyms, athletic venues, sports fields or courts, athletic health care centers, or training rooms.

What is Required for Distinction as a Sports Physical Therapist?

Advanced clinical and administrative competencies required for sports physical therapy practice have been identified and validated by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).  Initial validation occurred in 1980,¹ with re-validation every 10 years.  Current competencies can be found in the 5^th Edition of Sports Physical Therapy: Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) Ó 2023.² Similar competencies have were endorsed by the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapists in 2004.³ The American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy (AASPT) has grouped the competencies into six practice pillars, which are 1) Prevention of athletic injury, 2) Acute management of athletic injury and illness, 3) Sports rehabilitation & return to activity/play, 4) Sports performance, 5) Sports science, and 6) Administration and Interprofessional collaboration. 

How Does Knowledge and Specialty Practice Progress?

The knowledge, skills, and abilities of all physical therapists, in any area of clinical practice, evolve over time.  This happens during and after their entry-level educational preparation, as they progress from “novice” to “proficient” clinicians.  Entry-level educational preparation, as broad and diverse as the profession of Physical Therapy, does not thoroughly prepare new graduate entry-level practice clinicians in areas of specialty practice, such as sports physical therapy.⁴  Because of this, post -professional education is required for the clinician to enhance their clinical expertise through the lifelong acquisition and refinement of knowledge, skills, abilities, and professional behaviors.  Physical Therapists have an ethical obligation to achieve and maintain professional clinical competence in their chosen area(s) of clinical practice.^5.

The practice of sports physical therapy may best be defined by the type of patient receiving the service and the setting in which it is provided (clinic, athletic venue, gym, court, field, athletic health care center, or training room).  A licensed physical therapist rendering care to an injured athlete may be practicing sports physical therapy. However, for the clinician to justify calling themselves a “Sports Physical Therapist,” they should have the unique knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined in the AASPT Sports Physical Therapy and Pillars of Practice or the 2023 ABPTS Sports Physical Therapy DSP.  Individual professionals’ clinical practice in sports physical therapy and how they apply these pillars may change throughout their careers as Sports Physical Therapists.

How Do I Determine My Current Level of Preparation?

As stated in the APTA Code of Ethics, “Physical therapists shall take responsibility for their professional development based on critical self-assessment and reflection.5 Based on this statement, physical therapists, who want to practice sports physical therapy, should feel duty-bound to obtain and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.  Self-assessment and reflection can help identify gaps in knowledge, skills, and abilities for demonstrating competencies in sports physical therapy.  A physical therapist can review the competency statements in the AASPT Practice Pillars and the DSP to assess their readiness to practice in this clinical specialty. 

To further assist, the AASPT has developed a self-assessment tool to help clinicians identify areas where greater knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed. 

How Can Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities in Sports Physical Therapy be Acquired?

1. Independent Continuing Education
   • Independent reading and study
   • Structured online programs
   • Independent continuing education courses or programs with identified educational objectives and outcomes from qualified faculty
   • Event coverage and “on-field” experience under appropriate supervision
2.  Structured Educational Programs

• Graduate-level education coursework, which may or may not lead to an advanced degree.
• Sports Physical Therapy Residency or Fellowship Program accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE): these academic and clinical experiences are based upon competencies identified in the DSP.

Is a Physical Therapy License Sufficient to be a Sports Physical Therapist?

Any physical therapist may call themselves a “Sports Physical Therapist.”  However, they should have adequately self-assessed and reflected on their achievement and maintenance of professional competence in the areas of clinical practice outlined by the AASPT Practice Pillars, based on the standards detailed in the APTA Code of Ethics.⁵  The “Sports Physical Therapy Self-Assessment” described above will help the practicing clinician self-reflect and rate their level of knowledge, skill, and ability to provide care in this specialty area and meet their ethical obligations.  No physical therapist may call themselves a “Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist” unless they have passed the Board Certification Exam in Sports Physical Therapy offered by the ABPTS.

How are Advanced Competencies in Sports Physical Therapy Demonstrated?

The ABPTS has developed an examination process by which a physical therapist can be recognized as a “Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist”. This specialization process and examination have been developed, utilized, and repeatedly validated since 1980 by recognized experts in sports physical therapy, the AASPT, and the APTA.  Passing the exam demonstrates and validates the knowledge, skills, and abilities detailed in the competency statements in the DSP and the Practice Pillars. Although passing the examination to become a Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist is not required for distinction as a Sports Physical Therapist, it is strongly encouraged for all who practice in this area. 

How is Distinction as a Sports Physical Therapist Maintained?

Continued practice, self-assessment, and reflection are the hallmarks of great clinicians.  Sports Physical Therapists should continually evaluate their clinical skills, knowledge, and ability to practice in this area.  Clinicians who achieve Board Certification must meet various requirements to maintain it every 3 years and take a recertification examination every 10 years.

References

1. Skovly R, Davies G, Mangine R, et al. Results of the Task Analysis Study, Sports Physical Therapy Section, American Physical Therapy Association. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Spring 1980.
2. 5^th Edition, Sports Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties,  2023.
3. Bulley, C., Donaghy, M., Coppoolse, R., Bizzini, M., van Cingel, R.,DeCarlo, M., Dekker, L., Grant, M., Meeusen, R., Phillips, N., & Risberg, M. (2004) Sports Physiotherapy Competencies and Standards. Sports Physiotherapy For All Project. [online] Available at: www.SportsPhysiotherapyForAll.org/publications/
4. Mulligan EP, Rauh MJ, Heiderscheit B, Jenkins WL. Sports Physical Therapy Education in the United States:  Where Do We Go from Here? J Allied Health, 2020.
5. Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist, American Physical Therapy Association.   HOD S06-20-28-25, 8/12/2020.