Return to sport guidelines

You're Not Alone in This Journey

If you're reading this, you might be feeling frustrated, confused, or worried about getting back to the sport you love while managing your Osgood Schlatter or Sever's pain.

Maybe you've already had a setback and an increase in your pan in response to a training session.

Maybe your pain came back after weeks of not having any pain.

Maybe you're wondering if you should stop everything or push through.

Here's the truth: This is all completely normal and part of the process.

Every athlete in our program faces these same challenges at one point or another. The path back to pain-free sport is rarely a straight line, the key is having a clear plan and the right expectations.

This guide will give you both.

The Core Principle: Progress and Patience

Recovery from Osgood-Schlatter and Sever's disease follows what we call a "non-linear progression." This means:

✅ Good weeks and challenging weeks are both normal
✅ Setbacks or a return of your pain don't mean you have wasted your time and do erase your progress up to that point
✅ Your body needs time to adapt to incrementally increasing loads and intensities
✅ Consistency matters more than perfection

Remember: The goal is to build your body's ability to handle sport-specific demands while keeping pain manageable. This is an ongoing process and there are no magical cures or quick fixes, it takes diligence and patience.

Your Stage-by-Stage Action Plan

Important Foundation Principles

Every case is unique - while this guide provides general frameworks, always consult with healthcare professionals and err on the side of caution when making decisions about your specific situation.

Always follow your doctor's advice - This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If your healthcare provider recommends complete rest or any other treatment approach, follow their guidance. We are not medical professionals, and this information should never replace proper medical assessment and care

"Staying active" is crucial - but what does this actually mean? Counterintuitively, doing only your program exercises while avoiding all other activities can actually harm your long-term recovery. While it might feel safe and pain-free initially, complete inactivity sets you up for a much harder time rebuilding fitness and strength later. Extended sitting and inactivity can even increase pain levels over time.

The goal: Smart activity modification, not complete avoidance. This means:

Working with coaches to modify training rather than skipping entirely
Sitting out specific drills while participating in others
Accepting that team training and competition are usually too intense initially
Building back to full sport over weeks, not days
Avoiding sudden spikes in intensity, frequency, or volume

At minimum, aim for: Short regular walks, low-intensity skill work, or partial team practices. Use the load management tools in weeks 2 and 5 of your program to guide your decisions.

When in doubt: Always choose the more conservative option.

Weeks 1-2: The Foundation Phase

"Building your training floor"

What to expect: Your body is adapting to the program exercises while still managing sport demands.

Recommended approach:

Reduce training volume/frequency by anywhere from 25-75% of normal as a starting point
Example: If you normally train 5 days/week for 60 minutes → a 50% reduction would be 3 days/week for 20-40 minutes with lower intensity in those sessions.
Focus on maintaining technique, staying active and keeping connected with your team rather than intensity. Work with your coaches to help modify sessions if you choose to continue with team practices.

Communication with coaches:"I'm working through a knee issue with a structured program. For the next few weeks, I need to modify my training load slightly, but I plan to return to full training as the program progresses."

Red flags (time to adjust and reduce activity even further):

Pain above 5/10 during activity
Noticeable limping during or after training
Avoiding certain movements or lack of power and speed
Pain persists several hours after finishing
Significant morning stiffness the next day

It may take a week or two to find your true starting baseline, don't panic or try to rush this, be flexible and read and react to each training session.

Weeks 3-5: The Building Phase

"Finding your sweet spot"

What to expect: Most athletes start feeling more confident and want to do more. This is where patience becomes crucial. Rushing back from stationary drills into a full team training in one giant leap isa recipe for a setback, incremental progression is key.

Recommended approach:

Gradual return to pre-injury loads using the "10% rule"
- The 10% rule: No more than a 10% increase in any one training factor per week. That means a 10% increase in volume OR intensity OR duration OR frequency. Try to only increase 1-2 of these variables each week (for example, if you increase intensity of your drills DO NOT also increase duration).
Start participating in more drills, but still modify the most challenging ones

The 48-hour test: After each training session, monitor:

Pain during activity
Pain 2-4 hours after
Morning stiffness the next day
Overall energy and mood

If all four are manageable, you can maintain or slightly increase next session.

Smart modifications by activity type:

Jumping/Landing: Reduce repetitions by half, focus on technique
Cutting/Direction changes: Slower pace, wider turns, fewer reps
Running: Shorter distances, avoid hill sprints initially
Spinting: Less hard accelerations and decelerations, slower top speed, less total distance
Contact sports: Limit contact drills, focus on skill work, smaller sided games

Weeks 6-7: The Integration Phase

"Getting back to your former self"

What to expect: You should be handling most activities well, but competitive situations might still trigger symptoms.

Recommended approach:

Most athletes can return to 80-90% of normal training volume by this stage (having increased slowly and steadily each week as their symptoms improve)
Start testing higher intensity activities in controlled situations
Begin planning post-program maintenance

Competition considerations:

Friendly games or scrimmages before official matches
Shorter playing time initially
Have an exit strategy if pain increases mid-game

Post-Program: The Mastery Phase

"Long-term success strategies"

What to expect: You've completed the program, but management continues and risk fo a setback is highest. Some athletes need additional progression support.

Key principles:

Continue daily mobility work (5-10 minutes)
Maintain strength exercises 2-3x/week
Monitor training load during growth spurts
Have a plan for handling minor flare-ups

Don't stop your exercises! It's key that you continue on with ALL of your exercises from week 7 of the program to keep up your strength and mobility, we recommend maintaining as much of the forever program as you can for a full year after completing the initial seven weeks.

Consider the Return to Performance Program: To take your rehabilitation even further, you can build on your rehabilitation with our Return to Performance Program. It provides structured guidance and a built in progressive plan for building back your fitness and managing your training load as you return to full sporting participation while maintaining knee health. Learn more about Return to Performance here →

The Traffic Light Decision System

Athletes tend to think of their pain and recovery as a binary thing, they are either "fully recovered" and therefore fully ready to play sport or they are "completely broken" and can't do anything but sit on the sidelines.

This is wrong and will hold you back in your return to sport journey! Instead think of your capabilities as a sliding spale from 0 - 100, maybe when you started the program you were at a 5/100, in constant pain, lacking strength, unfit and demoralised by your injury. As you progress through the program this number should gradually climb and climb and climb, there will be setbacks and painful episodes but these might just be a dip from 80/100 → 65/100 rarely does an athlete go all the way back to their starting score. These setbacks are also typically very short lived, quickly rebounding after 12-48 hours.

Tips after hitting a setback:

Take a rest, and don't make any big decisions until at least 48 hours have passed.
See how your pain levels respond to your program exercises foam rolling, stretching and isometrics can be a great way to accelerate recovery. Be sure to avoid any exercises that might stir the pain up more in this acute stage.
Wait for pain levels to settle over the next 1-2 days, if they do not seek medical advice.
Take a small reset in your training levels (decreasing by 10-30%( and build back again gradually over 1-2 weeks
Consider if you were progressing too quickly and review the content in weeks 2&5 of the program

Common Scenarios & Solutions

"My child wants to quit the program after a setback"

Reality check: Setbacks feel massive in the moment but typically settle within 48 hours.

Action steps:

Acknowledge their frustration - it's valid
Review what might have triggered the flare-up
Remind them of progress made so far
Focus on what they can do (upper body, core, program exercises)
Set a short-term goal (pain below 4/10 by tomorrow)

"The coach doesn't understand load management"

Communication strategy:

Share this guide with them
Emphasize temporary modifications, not permanent limitations
Suggest alternatives: "Instead of full sprint drills, could I focus on technique at 70% speed?"
Position yourself as still valuable: "I can help with younger players while doing modified training"

"Pain came back after successful program completion"

First, don't panic. This happens often and doesn't mean the program failed. It's just part of the return to sport journey.

Assessment questions:

Have you grown significantly recently?
Did you increase training load too quickly?
Are you maintaining your program exercises?
Any new activities or sports in your schedule?

Action plan:

Modify and slightly decrease training for 1-2 weeks
Consider the Return to Performance program for structured progression
Monitor for 2-3 weeks before making major decisions

"Should we stop everything or keep going?"

The middle path: Complete rest is rarely the answer, but neither is pushing through significant pain.

Guidelines:

If pain is manageable (below 3/10) and not worsening → continue with modifications
If you're limping or pain is above 6/10 → take 2-3 days complete rest, then restart gently
When in doubt, err on the side of caution for 48 hours, then reassess. Pain is a constantly changing thing so the scenario will be changing constantly.

When Complete Rest IS the Only Option

While we generally encourage staying active throughout recovery, there are situations where complete rest becomes necessary.

If your healthcare provider recommends complete rest, follow their guidance. We are not medical professionals, and any concerning symptoms or persistent severe pain should be evaluated by qualified healthcare providers who can assess your specific situation.

The important message: Complete rest doesn't mean your athletic future is over. Many successful athletes in our programs have needed extended rest periods before making full recoveries. The key is using this time productively, focusing on the rehabilitation exercises you can safely do, addressing underlying factors that contributed to your condition, or simply allowing your body the healing time it needs.

Next steps after extended rest: When you're cleared to return to activity, expect to follow the pathway outlined in our "Return After Extended Time Off" section. Patience is extra important when taking long periods on the sidelines.

Returning After Extended Time Off

If you've taken weeks or months off sport - whether due to medical advice or because you have come to this program during your time away from sport having already stopped - your comeback will require extra patience and a structured approach.

The key is accepting that recovery timelines get longer the more time you spend on the sidelines.: if you've been out for months, it may take a number of weeks or even months to safely return to full fitness and competitive performance.

The most effective pathway for extended breaks: Complete your 7-week Osgood-Schlatter or Sever's program first, focusing entirely on pain reduction and foundational strength. Once finished, immediately begin the Return to Performance program, which provides 7 weeks of progressive loading designed specifically for athletes returning after injury. During this second program, you can gradually begin incorporating sport-specific training - but the emphasis should remain on the structured progression rather than jumping back into team practices.

This two-program approach might seem long, but it's designed to break the frustrating cycle that many athletes experience: premature return → pain flare-up → back to the sidelines → starting over. Athletes who rush this process often end up taking longer overall due to repeated setbacks.

The Return to Performance program bridges the critical gap between basic pain management and the high demands of competitive sport, giving your body the time and structure it needs to adapt safely.

Building Your Support Network

Key people to keep informed:

Parents/Guardians: Daily communication about pain levels and training plans
Coaches: Weekly updates on capabilities and modifications needed
Teammates: Brief explanation so they understand modifications
Healthcare providers: Any concerning changes or persistent issues

Communication scripts:

To coaches: "I'm managing a knee condition with a structured program. This week I can do X, Y, and Z at full intensity, but need to modify A and B. I expect to progress to full training over the next X weeks."

To teammates: "I'm working through some knee issues but staying active. I might sit out certain drills, but I'm still here to support the team and working toward getting back to 100%."

To parents: "Today's training went well/was challenging because... My plan for tomorrow is... I need support with..."

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters

Managing Osgood-Schlatter or Sever's disease isn't just about getting through a few months of pain. You're learning valuable skills that will serve you throughout your athletic career:

Load management: Understanding how your body responds to different training demands
Self-awareness: Recognizing early warning signs before problems become serious
Communication: Working with coaches and support staff to optimize your training
Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks with a positive mindset
Long-term thinking: Making decisions that support your athletic longevity

These skills become incredibly valuable as training demands increase at higher levels of sport.

Next Steps: The Return to Performance Program

If you've completed the Core Advantage program and want additional support for your return to full training and competition, consider our Return to Performance program.

This 7-week program is perfect if you:

Completed Core Advantage but want more structured progression
Are returning to competitive sport after time off
Want to build fitness and power safely after injury
Need confidence in high-intensity activities
Are preparing for tryouts or important competitions

What makes Return to Performance different:

Progressive loading protocols designed specifically for post-injury athletes
Sport-specific movement patterns and power development
Advanced load management strategies
Confidence-building exercises for high-intensity activities
Seamless transition back to elite-level training demands

The program bridges the gap between pain management and peak performance, giving you the tools and confidence to not just return to sport, but excel at it.

Learn more about Return to Performance →

Remember: You've Got This

This injury is temporary. The vast majority of athletes successfully return to pain-free sport, and you will too. Setbacks are normal and provide valuable information about pacing and load management - no rehabilitation is ever perfectly linear. Every day of the program makes your knees more resilient, so trust the process that thousands of athletes have successfully navigated before you.

You're becoming a better athlete through this experience. Every professional athlete you admire has faced setbacks, injuries, and challenges. What separates successful athletes isn't the absence of problems - it's how they respond to and learn from difficulties. You're not just recovering from Osgood-Schlatter or Sever's disease; you're developing invaluable skills in load management, self-awareness, and resilience that will serve your entire athletic career.

Stay connected to your sport community throughout this process. Don't isolate yourself from teammates and coaches - they're part of your support system. The sport you love will be there waiting for you. Take the time to do this right, and you'll come back not just healed, but stronger and smarter than ever.

This resource is for educational purposes and general guidance only. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals for medical advice specific to your situation. Individual cases may require different approaches than those discussed here.

Questions? Reach out to our support team or connect with other program members in the community forum. You're not in this alone.