How do injured student-athletes rehab at home? St. Thomas University might have a solution.
The abrupt end of college sports was devastating.
Historic seasons felt incomplete, and fans missed out on March Madness. Meanwhile student-athletes had to come to terms with their new reality of virtual classes. But for those recovering from an injury, the school year’s premature end couldn’t have come at a worse time. Days, weeks, months of progress were at risk of being lost because of a players’ lack of access to proper weight equipment.
About 31 student-athletes at St. Thomas University found themselves in this situation after the school closed on March 20. Luckily, they had Jim Tuffy.
“When everything stopped and everyone went home, I kind of realized that we need to do what they were used to getting for therapy,” said Tuffy, the the Miami Gardens-based university’s assistant athletic director for sports medicine.
Following the lead of schools across the country, Tuffy went digital and began conducting therapy sessions via FaceTime or Zoom. This not only allows him to maintain the one-on-one experience with student-athletes but also assess their progress. Two weeks in and his revamped program looks to be a hit.
“I thought I was going to have to do rehab alone, but the treatment has been above and beyond my expectations,” said STU Volleyball player Manuela Martinez, who’s recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery. “I’m incredibly grateful for everything that Jim has done.”
STU athletic director Laura Courley-Todd agreed.
“One of my prides in Bobcat athletics is how our coaches and staff finds way to think outside of the box,” Courley-Todd said in a statement. “I applaud Jim for his ingenuity and keeping our student-athletes engaged and healthy.”
Innovation has been a key part of Tuffy’s success. Not everybody has an extensive home gym like the Gronkowskis. So the 51-year-old sports medicine expert had to get creative.
“We’ve had them use jugs filled with water, baseball bats and anything else from around their house for rehab,” Tuffy said.
What makes Tuffy’s approach so unique is that he understands the mental side of rehab. His near 30 years of physical therapy experience has taught him that people sometimes need an extra push through rehab’s more painful parts.
“If something hurts, you’re not going to want to do it or don’t think you should do it,” he explained. “... Being a positivie motivator in their head [is important].”
Though ecstatic about his early response, Tuffy wants this initiative to grow. His voice perks up when he speaks about using this in the future.
“Once the school year is over and [student-athletes] go home for the summer, now how do we get them to be in peak condition?” he asked rhetorically. “This is something that can carry over once we get back to normal operating procedures.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 3:57 PM with the headline "How do injured student-athletes rehab at home? St. Thomas University might have a solution.."
