Anon Documentation to Return After Injury/Surgery

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Does your gym require documentation to come back after an injury - personal and or gymnastics related?

Sprains and being sore are common. But what about injuries requiring surgery and/or needing bracing/boots/crutches? Is there a uniform standard for returning after an injury/ surgery or is it up to the gym?

If your gym doesn’t require anything, do you think they should?

Or do they rely on parents to be 100% honest with their coaches?

This forum has quite a few coaches so I’m interested so se their perspective and of course parents.

I’m curious as I’m seeing a few of my DDs teammates having all of the above and some coming back quicker than anticipated- like months quicker at full speed. No easing into anything. I acknowledge everyone is different and heals differently as well.

Was just curious what other gyms do.
 
DD had a stress reaction (inflammation of the bone, step below a stress fracture) and was in a boot and crutches for 5 weeks, and a boot for another 2, and was out not doing really anything other than bars for about 8 weeks. She was able to compete at states after only doing 1 week of vt/bb/fx, and did fine. She ended up being fine and there was no stress fracture or follow up injury. I think that she probably could have sat out of states but she wasn't feeling any pain at that point and was pretty ready in her opinion.
 
Does your gym require documentation to come back after an injury - personal and or gymnastics related?

Yes... this not only helps us return the gymnast to play properly... but it should also be done for insurance purposes.

Sprains and being sore are common. But what about injuries requiring surgery and/or needing bracing/boots/crutches? Is there a uniform standard for returning after an injury/ surgery or is it up to the gym?

There is no uniform standard. With our upper level gymnasts we recommend that the athlete works with a PT that will work with us to return the athlete to play. In all cases at our gym this has been both the safest and fastest method.

Or do they rely on parents to be 100% honest with their coaches?

I can speak from experience that this does not happen.

I’m curious as I’m seeing a few of my DDs teammates having all of the above and some coming back quicker than anticipated- like months quicker at full speed. No easing into anything. I acknowledge everyone is different and heals differently as well.

You would actually be surprised how much quicker an athlete can come back in some cases. Athletes are more physically fit... so depending on the injury / surgery... this can help.

We have a basic 3 step process once an athlete has be released by the Dr. to start returning to play after a major injury or long time off...

(The below 3 primary steps are used for all athletes... however... the activities for each primary step would be based on each individual athlete and the injury. So basically... below is just an example.)
  1. Basic low to no impact (minimum 1 week)
    • Walking
    • Slow Tumbling
    • Nothing where they could fall from height
    • Full body strength... fairly aggressive
    • Upper level athletes do bar basics (especially kip casting for strength)
  2. Medium impact (minimum 1 week... this tapers up)
    • Jogging / Running (around floor)
    • Tumbling (no takeoffs... like RO-BHS-BHS-BHS)
    • Trampoline & Tumble Track
    • Bar basics for all levels (upper levels starting to swing / tap fairly hard on basics)
    • Dance throughs on beam / floor with no skills (no tumbling / leaps / jumps)
  3. High impact and full activities ramp up (minimum 1 week)
    • Vault (sprint throughs progressing into full vaults)
    • Floor (tumbling with watered down takeoffs... progressing into takeoffs with the actual skills)
    • Beam skills
    • Bar skills
The above process takes from 3 weeks to whatever is needed. Typically a 3 week ramp up will be guided by a PT and strength will have already been maintained by the PT before released by the Dr.

#2 has quite a bit of actual impact in it before proceeding to things that are actually "dangerous" with the impact.
 
Last edited:
I will add to my above... if the athlete has been doing no strength during the time off and they are an upper level tween / teen... steps #1 and #2 will easily total 4 weeks just to get their basic strength back up.

Low back injuries... add step #0... massive core strength upgrades coupled with a close examination of skills being done to make sure none of them are the issue (skill change plans / paths if needed). After the massive core strength upgrade... double the minimums on the other phases.
 
Triple post here... another thing to note... in our ramp up...
  • Walking = Low Impact
  • Jogging = Medium Impact = 2 Foot Tumbling No Takeoffs
  • Sprinting = High Impact = Leap & Jumps
Many will believe that sprinting comes before basic tumbling... I will tell you in most cases it does NOT. For a well trained gymnast... a basic RO-BHS is fairly easy on the body compared to a full sprint. Aggressive 1 foot leaps and jumps go into the category of high impact for sure as well.

If your first day of tumbling ramp up includes double layouts... um...

tom cruise wow GIF


You may end up short.
 
If they have a documented injury where they were receiving treatment from a doctor or physical therapist, we do require a note to return to practice, as well as any initial limitations and what steps can be taken as we move forward.
 
17 years in the sport at the club level, 4 NCAA and no note was ever required ....in fact , one Olympic gym we were at actively discouraged missing gym for ANY reason (including surgery, death in the family) at ANY level...it was insane and I was the bad guy there for telling them my 10 yo would not be doing anything contrary to doctor's orders after her surgery for OCD of the elbow...and she healed with no sequelae
 
Our gym requires a Dr note to modify practice and then to come back. They strictly follow Drs orders, and then if Dr releases to PT they follow their orders. There is actually a group chat between me, PT and coaches to give weekly updates related to injury comeback.
 
Our gym requires a Dr note to modify practice and then to come back. They strictly follow Drs orders, and then if Dr releases to PT they follow their orders. There is actually a group chat between me, PT and coaches to give weekly updates related to injury comeback.
A note to modify at all or more to clarify the duration and extent of the modifications? I would struggle with that policy with regards to basic overuse stuff that just needs some time, stretching, PT, etc. Things like Severs, Osgood-Schlatters, etc. Do they allow the athlete to modify while awaiting the doctor's appointment or are folks expected to go to an urgent care for this sort of thing? Truly not judging, just curious.

Our gym does not even require a release note after surgeries. This has always surprised me...and I am an orthopaedic sports surgeon. I feel like I have write release notes after surgery for every single stupid thing....but never gymnastics!
 
My gymnasts continue to train with an injury, we modify the program to only use other parts of the body.

Gymnasts train intensely for a lot of hours. Just stopping all that cold also carriers health risks. Maintaining strength and flexibility help the healing process and reduced the chance of further injury.

I don’t require a medical certificate, the parents will relay to me what the doctors have said. They have always been trustworthy.

I think one of the most important things to consider when a gymnast is injured is the emotional aspect. They spend their lives in the gym, stopping their training is stopping a lot more than their physical training. Even if they can do very little we want them to continue to feel like a valued member of the team and an important part of the group.

Even h it f they are just watching or giving team mates feedback they want to be with their friends, the gym is their 2nd home.
 

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