From Athlete to Founder — The Birth of Return 2 Play

Return 2 Play began as an idea during a classroom assignment in physical therapy school. Our professor asked us to imagine our future practice and give it a name. As an athlete myself, I had always noticed a gap in how care was delivered: most providers focused on getting people back to “normal life,” but not necessarily back to their sport. I wanted to build something different—a place where athletes of all levels, ages, and experiences feel truly heard, understood, and supported from day one.

At Return 2 Play, we don’t believe in the default “you’ll need six weeks off” answer. Instead, we focus on creative, safe modifications that keep athletes involved in their sport and training as much as possible. Our goal is not just to patch you up for the next event, but to support you in the long game—through injury, recovery, performance, and beyond.

This vision was shaped by my own path. As an athletic trainer in college, I saw how well we managed the immediate return to play—but often lacked resources for long-term care once the season ended. In PT school, I noticed the opposite: strong long-term rehabilitation skills, but limited knowledge around those critical first few hours post-injury. Later, earning my strength and conditioning certification filled another gap: optimizing performance, movement, and form for active individuals at every stage. Return 2 Play was built to bridge all three areas—acute injury response, long-term rehab, and performance optimization.

The journey became even more personal when I launched Return 2 Play with a 7-week-old newborn in my arms. My son wasn’t taking a bottle yet, and I found myself navigating the physical and emotional challenge of returning to running, swimming, and everyday strength as a new mom. It opened my eyes to another underserved athlete: the mother. That’s why we expanded our vision to support women in every stage of motherhood—from fertility to postpartum and beyond—so they too feel seen, supported, and strong in their own return to play.

Today, Return 2 Play is a growing team of athletic trainers, physical therapists, strength coaches, and massage therapists—all working together to deliver complete, collaborative care. We’re proud to serve athletes of all kinds, and as our community grows, so will our team—adding new disciplines and specialties to serve you better.

Whether you're training for your next competition, coming back from an injury, or simply wanting to move and live well, we're here to help you get there.