By Jess Elis, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, COMT, CSCS, FAAOMPT
Speaker and Attendee of The Huddle

HOW THE HUDDLE INSPIRED EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETE CARE

This year’s Huddle gave me the chance to step back and re-evaluate how I approach athlete care. As someone who’s used to focusing on just the top priorities, it was good for me to be reminded of the bigger picture. I don’t always look at things holistically, and sometimes I need that push.

Being around people who work with different types of athletes really opened my eyes. I got to hear how others think through problems, how they adapt care, and what their treatment decisions look like. That alone made it worth attending.

A MOMENT AT THE HUDDLE THAT MADE YOU STOP AND THINK

One of the sessions that stuck with me most was on athlete motivation. It was tied to Self-Determination Theory—something I wasn’t familiar with by name. Self Determination Theory explores how motivation works, not just at the surface level but at its core. It focuses on what truly drives people to take action and stay committed, and its insights are game-changing for athletes looking to sustain high levels of performance over time. But it made a lot of sense. It’s not that I wasn’t already getting feedback from players or giving them input, but this helped frame it differently.

Molly Binetti, Director of Women’s Basketball Performance at University of South Carolina, talked about pushing for autonomy and letting athletes choose the exercises they prefer, rather than just giving them something off a list. That clicked.

Another thing I’m already trying to implement is what I learned from Danielle Lafata, Director of Nutrition for BYU Men’s and Women’s Basketball Programs at BYU Athletics, lecture. She talked about using nutrition to help mitigate atrophy, especially post-surgically. The three she mentioned—leucine, creatine, and HMB—stood out. HMB was particularly interesting because of how it’s been used in cancer patients, and then how that carried over to pro athletes. It’s not something I had connected before, and I appreciated the research behind it.

The talk on tactical athletes made me pause, too. The injuries they deal with are so different from what we usually see, and a lot of that is driven by what they have to wear and how they move. Boots, gear, long hours. That really changes how you think about load and recovery. Speaker Brian Schmitz, Police Officer and Physical therapist, made a comment that’s stuck with me: “We’re training these individuals so they’re harder to kill.” That’s never been a goal of mine when I write a treatment plan—but it’s a real consideration for this population.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SPEAK AT THE HUDDLE?

I’ve spoken at The Huddle before, but this year felt like a step up. The panel sessions especially stood out. There’s something about the unscripted moments, when speakers are answering questions in real time, that makes it more valuable. The audience wants application, not theory. They want to know how to use the information the next day, and I think the Q&A allowed for that.

That’s what The Huddle does really well. They bring in variety—from surgeons to performance coaches to physical therapists and business owners. You don’t always get something that directly applies to your setting, but you get exposed to more. And that broad perspective is what makes this different.

FINAL AND MOST IMPORTANT KEY TAKE AWAY IS…

What stuck with me the most was the sense of community. Being surrounded by athletic trainers, physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, all of us focused on helping athletes, was a reminder that we’re not doing this work alone. The Huddle brought fresh perspective, gave me space to reflect, and left me feeling more connected to the larger team behind every athlete’s success.

Missed The Huddle 2025? Don’t worry! The Huddle virtual course is available for pre-sale today and will be ready for viewing in just a couple weeks. You’ll have a front row seat to all of the action and dialogue from The Huddle AND will receive up to 17 CE credits. Grab your virtual ticket today at spoonerpt.com/thehuddle.