Knowing when an athlete is ready to return to sport is rarely straightforward. This session breaks down return-to-sport testing into a clear, usable framework — helping clinicians move beyond time-based decisions and toward confident, criteria-driven reasoning. You’ll learn how to interpret tests, recognise false readiness, and integrate physical performance with confidence and control.

Day Outline

9:00 – Introduction

• Time vs Criteria
• Models guiding return to play
• Sports-specific constructs

10:00 – Physical Performance Tests

11:30 – When to use what test?

12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch

1:00 – Fear of reinjury in RTS – strategies for clinicians

2:00 – Cortical changes, coordination and reaction time

3:00 – Clinical decision making – pulling it all together

• Case studies

4:00 – Finish

VENUE: Pro-Health Physio / Pioneer Performance, 5, 5 Hawick Cres, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1AS, United Kingdom

Goals for Return to Sport

• 1.    To identify sports specific demands and tailor return to sport testing for athletes from different sports
• 2.    Assess an athlete's readiness to meet sport-specific shoulder requirements.
• 3.    Utilize psychological assessment tools to evaluate an athlete's fear of reinjury & implement strategies to address kinesiophobia in athletes returning to sport.
• 4.    Synthesize physical, psychological, and sport-specific factors in return to sport decision-making using case examples

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Return to Sport 

Return to Play Models

1.    Compare and contrast different return to play decision-making models.

Sport-specific Constructs

1.    Identify sport-specific demands on the shoulder for various athletic activities.

2.    Assess an athlete's readiness to meet sport-specific shoulder requirements.

Physical Performance Tests

1.    Select and administer appropriate physical performance tests for athletes with shoulder instability

.Addressing Fear of Reinjury

1.    Utilize psychological assessment tools to evaluate an athlete's fear of reinjury.

2.    Implement strategies to address kinesiophobia in athletes returning to sport.

Cortical Changes and Coordination

1.    Recognize signs of altered motor control and coordination in athletes with shoulder instability.

2.    Design rehabilitation exercises that address reaction time deficits and improve neuromuscular control.

Integration of Return to Sport Components

1.    Synthesize physical, psychological, and sport-specific factors in return to sport decision-making.

2.    Create a comprehensive return to sport protocol for an athlete with shoulder instability.

Case Study Analysis

1.    Evaluate complex return to sport scenarios involving athletes with shoulder instability.

2.    Justify return to sport decisions based on evidence-based criteria and clinical reasoning.

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