A Physical Therapist is a Coach.

...and a teacher, a mentor, sometimes a mental therapist (not to be confused for actual psycho-therapy specialists) amongst other hats worn that comes with the nature of the profession.

In some sports circles, a physical therapist is seen as having a different role from that of a coach or trainer. Yes, if there is a team or organization which specified roles where PTs focus their energy on educating and treating injuries, programming plans for prevention, maintenance, recovery and there are Coaches for sports-specific programming, there can be a differentiation.

However, consider the actions taken by Coach: assessing an athlete's needs for their sport, programming training plans, adjusting those plans, educating athletes on form and technique, mentoring athletes on progressions, regressions or mindset when hitting roadblocks to success, and being able to effectively influence an athlete to perform something correctly with cues helpful to that athlete.

If a PT needs to do all of those things, but for rehab, prevention, maintenance and recovery plans, shouldn't a PT be considered a coach in that specialty? Shouldn't a rehab plan adapt to the needs of an athlete if there is a need for progression because there is less pain or more function? How do athletes know how to perform rehab or recovery techniques if a PT cannot demonstrate and/or effectively cue?

A PT is also a Coach.

The need for empathy and understanding of each role is required regardless of being the PT or the Coach. Wouldn't it be easier for a PT to talk about sport-specific movements with ease to an athlete with an issue or injury? Or for the PT to have experience in the same sport as an athlete so that the connection is easy to establish with a shared language or even culture? Trust is a two-way process, and for athletes, it's very significant for the athlete-therapist relationship because of the feeling of vulnerability with injury, pain, and affect to goal progression.

For PTs to acknowledge that they have to work in the capacity of a type of Coach, they should work to master the responsibilities and skills that come with wearing that hat. Discovering a PT who can effectively Coach (bonus if they can coach the sport!) in rehab, recovery, and functional maintenance plans, but who also strives to master the virtuosity of being a Coach (with humility, maintaining a learning mindset, with an open perspective) should be considered the jackpot (or jack of all trades-pot?). Gaining the title of a Coach can take a weekend and a few hundred to thousands of dollars, tacking on some letters with a piece of paper, but mastering the skill to help a novice gain confidence, transition from an over-cognitive state to an autonomous state of performance, or an intermediate athlete finally overcome a mental or performance plateau is the non-tangible credential an Excellent Coach can and should be expected to provide. PTs already have to prove their mettle with extensive education, research, and executing with the weight of legal ramifications if medical care is substandard or poor. The effort to become a clinical expert applies to that of being an expert Coach. What can differentiate other PT-Coaches (physio-coaches?) is how much they care to put in the work to become that for the patients and athletes that are under their care.

If you're an athlete who needs an individualized, effective, physical maintenance plans, focused on injury reduction, rehab of past or current conditions, and that wants to rapidly connect with a PT who can understand and give sincere care to help, then Hyacinth Athletics and Rehab is the PT of choice. Bonus if Olympic Weightlifting is your sport!

Reach out by clicking the Requesting to Work with Me link above or here.