Created by the Institute for Athletic Medicine, the Next Step is a five-week 10-session sports rehabilitation program that bridges the gap between in-clinic sports injury rehabilitation and return to high-intensity sport activities.

Injury and surgery affect the body in many ways. For athletes, muscles and nerves often must be "re-trained" to work together again, and be strengthened to withstand the rigors of activities like sprinting, jumping and cutting.

Physical therapists and certified athletic trainers work one-on-one and in a group setting to provide advanced sports-oriented training to improve strength, endurance, agility, coordination, speed and confidence necessary to competitive play.

Next Step training for lower extremity injuries includes:

• Pre- and post-program testing for agility, jumping and speed 
• Fundamental skills retraining
• Proprioception to increase body awareness
• Sport-specific drills
• Agility training
• Power development
• Advanced strengthening

Get Results
Next Step helps athletes move beyond rehabilitation to return to sport safely and reduces the likelihood of re-injury. On average, participants improve agility, vertical jump and hop scores by 20 percent at program completion.

Here's what past participants have to say about Next Step:

• "I'm comfortable with running, cutting and jumping again."
• "Next Step helped me to regain speed."
• "I learned how to avoid re-injuring my knee."
• "I learned my leg was still weak and I need to keep strengthening it."
• "Next Step motivated me to push harder."
• "The program helped me to become stronger and more confident."  

Get Ready, Take the Next Step
Next Step is a five week, 10-session program designed to allow a smooth and safe transition back to soccer, basketball, volleyball or any other sport.

The cost  of the program is $300. A $50 deposit is required at the time of registration. The remainder is payable at the start of the session. Registrations less than two weeks prior to class start date are subject to availability. Class availability is subject to change.  Physician approval is required for post-surgical participants.

For more information or to register for the Next Step, call the Institute for Athletic Medicine Next Step information line  612-672-7737

The Next Step program will be available at Velocity Sports Performance in Champlin and at St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul on the following dates:
Next Step Program Schedule 2011
January 3-February 3
February 14-March 17
March 28th-April 28
May 9-June 13
June 20-July 25
August 1- September 1
September 12- October 14
October 24- November 28