Behind the Sports Medicine

Wearable Recovery 2.0: Inside Hyperice's Normatech, Venom, and Nike Hyperboot Innovations

How can athletic trainers and human performance professionals separate meaningful recovery technology from marketing hype, and how can they use these tools to improve athletic performance without overdoing it?

In this episode, recorded live at the 2026 NATA Convention, Dan Canina, Vice President of Performance at Hyperice, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to discuss the evolution of recovery technology and its growing role in sports medicine. He explains why recovery has become a critical part of athletic performance, what...

How do we prepare the next generation of athletic trainers to think critically and care for patients when so few educators and preceptors have ever been taught how to teach, and academia doesn't value clinical experience?

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA Convention, Dr. Marsha Grant-Ford, one of the pioneers of athletic training and the first African American woman certified as an athletic trainer in the United States, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to reflect on her remarkable career and the evolution of the profession.

Dr...

How can the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) better support athletic trainers as the profession expands into new workplaces, while also helping clinicians address burnout, salary concerns, and the changing demands of their careers?

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA Convention, Katie Scott, Director of Membership for NATA, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to discuss how the organization is adapting to meet the needs of athletic trainers across both established and emerging practice settings. She explains their focus on employer education, salary resources, workplace support, advocacy, and creating more sustainable...

Does Tape and Cupping Really Help? The Fascia and Nervous System Science Behind Them

What's actually happening beneath a strip of colorful tape or a cupping mark? And what does science actually tell us about their effects on fascial dynamics, neurosensory feedback, and chronic pain mechanisms?

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA Convention, chiropractor and RockTape co-founder Steven Capobianco joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to unpack what we actually know about elastic therapeutic tape, cupping, and other manual therapies. He explains how tape creates space between...

72 Hours to 28: The Nerve Hack Cutting Athlete Recovery Time

How can athletic trainers and human performance professionals cut through the noise of trendy gimmicks to build truly effective, scientifically validated recovery protocols for their athletes so they can perform at their best when it truly counts?

In this episode, recorded live at the 2026 NATA Convention, Anthony Kjenstad, President of Firefly Recovery, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to explain how Firefly evolved from a medical device designed to prevent post-surgical blood clots into a portable recovery tool used by...

"The Master's Upgrade Hurt Us": A Candid Conversation with Athletic Trainer Dr. Erin Hassler

When athletic training shifted to a master's-degree entry requirement, it was supposed to elevate the field. Instead, says 26-year veteran Dr. Erin Hassler, it may have priced athletic trainers out of the market, saddling clinicians with student debt while their pay stayed flat.

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA Convention, Dr. Hassler joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to unpack why she believes the industry pulled the wrong lever, and what it would...

How do you unite, advance, and advocate for an athletic training workforce facing burnout, salary discrepancies, and evolving institutional demands? For National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) President AJ Duffy III, the answer lies in proactive leadership, active listening, and building strategic partnerships across sports, military, and clinical settings.

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA convention, Duffy joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to reflect on a transformative year of leadership under new Executive Director Mollie Pillman and discuss NATA's newly unveiled strategic plan. He details major advocacy wins, including the massive...

Expensive Urine: Why Most Athletes Are Wasting Money on the Wrong Supplements

Athletes are constantly bombarded with supplement recommendations, viral health trends, and conflicting nutrition advice. But how do you know what's actually backed by evidence, what's safe to take, and what could unintentionally harm your performance, or even violate anti-doping rules? According to sports pharmacist Dr. Kaleigh Steelman, most of what's on the shelf is just going to end up as "expensive urine”, and for competitive athletes, picking the wrong product can mean far more than wasted money.

In this ep...

Natural grass has always been the gold standard for athlete performance and safety, but even the best-maintained fields are only playable for 160 to 200 hours a year. For years, sports organizations have turned to synthetic turf to handle high-volume demands; however, standard infill-based turf systems introduce serious risks of their own, subjecting athletes to severe torque and high recoil energy that dramatically increase lower-leg trauma and fatigue.

In this episode, recorded live from the 2026 NATA convention, Charles Dawson of TenCate joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to explain how decades of research into athlete...

Nervous system regulation has become a popular topic in sports performance, but what does it actually mean, and how do you know if you have achieved it? According to nervous system coach, licensed trauma therapist, and former D1 athlete Emily Perrin, true regulation isn't about being calm 100% of the time; it’s about building a flexible mind-body system that has the capacity to navigate stress and return to balance.

In this episode, Perrin joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to discuss the science behind the autonomic nervous system and explain why it plays a...

Why are pitching injuries continuing to rise exponentially despite rapid advancements in sports science and tech? According to baseball development innovator Casey Mulholland, the industry is breaking a fundamental principle of human physiology by leaning into excessive, unpredictable loads without allowing the body time to adapt.

In this episode, Mulholland joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to challenge some of baseball's most widely accepted injury prevention strategies. Drawing on his own career-ending injuries, years of professional player development, and hundreds of thousands of tracked throws, Mulholland argues that pitch counts alone offer a...

Managing the Team Behind the Team: What the Best Sports Medicine Departments Do Differently

How do you keep an elite medical staff focused, dialed in, and performing at their absolute highest level across a 162-game season? Instead of focusing on treating players directly, today’s guest instead invests in making the clinicians around him better.

In this episode, Corey Tremble, Director of Medical Operations for the Miami Marlins, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to discuss what it takes to build a high-performing sports medicine team inside a Major Le...

Standard X-rays miss this injury 60% of the time, leading many athletes to play through what they assume is just regular wrist soreness, but a hook of hamate fracture can destroy an athlete’s batting mechanics for seasons to come.

According to hand and upper extremity surgeon Dr. Nicholas Rose, the modern obsession with home runs and bat speed has caused a drastic uptick in hook of hamate fractures. In this episode, he joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to break down this unique injury.

Drawing on decades of experience, Dr...

Why “Fixing” a Pitcher’s Mechanics Might Make Them a Worse Player

The old-school approach to sports medicine often tries to force every athlete into a standardized box, but when it comes to elite baseball players, that can be counter-productive. According to physical therapist and strength coach Eric Schoenberg, changing a pitcher's natural motor preferences may reduce pain, but it may also make them a worse baseball player.

In this episode, Eric Schoenberg, owner of Diamond Physical Therapy, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth for a wide-ranging conversation on baseba...

The Real Reason Young Female Athletes Are Getting More ACL Injuries

Adolescent girls are tearing ACLs at alarming rates, particularly in soccer, but the explanation most people reach for is wrong. According to strength coach and former All-American soccer player Erica Mulholland, the problem has far less to do with female anatomy or hormones than most people think.

In this episode, Erica Mulholland joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth for a discussion on ACL injuries, strength training, long-term athletic development, and the growing pressures facing young female athletes.

Why "Just Rest It" Isn't Always the Best Advice for Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow (or “lateral epicondylitis”) is widely known as a "country club injury," but treating it can be more complicated than its casual nickname suggests. Beneath this common overuse condition lies a complex web of stubborn tendon pathology and what is usually a grueling 12-to-18-month natural healing timeline.

In this episode, athletic trainer Andrew Rizza and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cameron Roth launch their new, fast-paced Clinical Conversations series by breaking down how they manage tennis elbow and what actu...

Curt Schilling’s “bloody sock” became one of the most iconic images in sports history, but the real story behind it is far more medically complex than most fans realise. Beneath the legend was a career defined as much by medical adversity as athletic brilliance: misdiagnosis, pioneering surgery, a season-long ankle injury, and an experimental procedure performed on a trainer's table the night before one of the most famous starts in World Series history.

In this episode, six-time MLB All-Star, three-time World Series champion, and postseason pitching legend Curt Schilling joins hosts Andrew Rizza...

The American Olympic gymnastics team is doing exceptionally well, but at what cost? With kids us young as 12 doing between 30 and 40 hours of training a week, gymnastics is easily one of the most physically demanding youth sports in the world. So what happens when training loads rise faster than growing bodies can handle?

In this episode, Elspeth (Elly) Hart, Physician Assistant, Certified Athletic Trainer, and gymnastics medicine specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital, joins host Andrew Rizza to explore the unique medical realities of caring for young gymnasts.

The conversation examines why gy...

Death by a Thousand Headers: The Subconcussive Reality of UK Football

Concussion protocols in sport have improved dramatically over the past two decades, but what if the biggest threat to athletes’ long-term brain health isn’t concussion at all?

In this episode, Dr. Adam J. White, Head of Brain Health at the Professional Footballers’ Association and co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation UK, joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to explore the evolving science of brain health in UK football (soccer).

The conversation challenges conventional thinking around concussion, shifting the focus toward...

As surgical techniques for the shoulder evolve and the number of arthroplasty procedures in younger patients continues to skyrocket, how can clinicians balance aggressive innovation with predictable patient outcomes?

In this episode, Dr. Sarav Shah—Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine at New England Baptist Hospital—joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to discuss the complex world of shoulder surgery.

The conversation examines the startling 300% increase in shoulder replacements for patients under 50 and the emerging "buying time" procedures, such as Lower Trapezius Tendon (LTT) transfers, designed to delay the star...

What happens when the culture of toughness in professional football collides with the long-term reality of brain injury, and the science to understand it barely exists yet?

In this episode, former NFL linebacker Ted Johnson joins hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth to discuss his 10-year career, the early days of concussion awareness in football, and his mission to transform how the world understands head trauma.

Johnson recounts his own history with concussions that altered his cognitive health forever. He explains the "invisible" nature of brain injuries, the silence that once...

Despite pitch counts, improved training methods, and greater awareness of injury prevention, elbow and shoulder injuries in baseball pitchers continue to rise, particularly among youth athletes. So what are we still missing?

In this episode, Dr. Garrett Scott Bullock — physical therapist, quantitative epidemiologist, and former professional baseball player in the Houston Astros — joins host Andrew Rizza to explore the science behind throwing injuries. Drawing from his research at the Wake Forest Pitching Lab, Bullock explains why most throwing injuries stem from three major factors: workload spikes, poor mechanics, and weakness in the systems supporting the arm.

When Metrics Help and When They Hurt: Why Sports Science Data Alone is Not Enough

How can teams move beyond simply collecting data to making smarter, more athlete-centered decisions that truly impact performance and reduce injuries, even on a budget?

In this episode, Shaun Owen, Sports Science Coordinator for the Boston Red Sox, joins host Andrew Rizza to pull back the curtain on how elite organizations bridge the gap between data, research, and on-field performance. Based on his experience in rugby and high-performance sport in New Zealand and South Africa, as well...

How do you keep a Major League roster healthy through the 162-game marathon of a professional baseball season? And what does it really take to build and lead a championship-level sports medicine operation?

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth are joined by Brad Pearson, Senior Vice President of Sports Medicine for the Boston Red Sox. With over two decades of experience in the organization, Pearson shares his journey from a determined intern at Springfield College to leading a massive, multi-disciplinary team that supports the multi-time World Series champions.

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In the Athletic Training profession, salaries are stagnant, youth sports are being neglected, and practitioners are forced to get advanced certifications to make an adequate income. How did the profession get here, and what can we do to ensure its future viability?

In this episode, John Lopez joins host Andrew Rizza for an extensive look at the past, present, and future of athletic training. With Lopez’s career beginning in 1970, it spans collegiate athletics, the NFL, education, and industry leadership. In this discussion, he offers an honest and sometimes blunt assessment of where the profession has succeeded, wh...

In a world where professional and collegiate sports are billion-dollar industries, why do the athletic trainers who keep these athletes on the field continue to earn salaries that don’t reflect their value?

In this episode, Andrew Rizza is joined by Dr. Ross Dexter, the Assistant Athletic Director for Health and Performance at Southern Oregon University. Dr. Dexter shares his own career journey and how he successfully secured meaningful raises for himself and his staff by understanding the system instead of fighting against it.

The conversation explores the "ACL ROI"—the idea that...

A Pro Triathlete’s Guide to Avoiding Burnout, Injury, and Overtraining

What does it really take to train like a professional triathlete? And how can you train longer and harder without burning out, getting injured, or peeing yourself mid-race (unless it’s voluntary)?

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth chat with Lukas Siska, professional triathlete, founder of Siska Training Systems, and elite endurance coach who helped guide Dr. Roth through his first 70.3 half-Ironman. Siska shares his journey from collegiate swimmer and division one runner to competing on the tria...

What happens when medical decision-making collides with pressure from star athletes, agents, and public scrutiny? For one of the most respected team physicians in professional sports, the answer is simple: treat the human, not the hype.

In this live episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth are joined at the Harvard Varsity Club by renowned orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine leader Dr. Thomas Gill, former Head Team Physician for the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox. He shares from his decades of experience caring for athletes at every level, from youth and high school...

Dr. Frances Meredith on the Biopsychosocial Approach to Sports Medicine

Many patients and athletes with concussion-related or chronic symptoms (brain fog, fatigue, mood changes, autoimmune issues) continue to experience lingering challenges despite receiving standard medical care. Today’s guest believes this is often because the biological, psychological, and social drivers of health are not always addressed together within a single care framework.

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth are joined live from the 2025 NATA Convention in Orlando by Dr. Frances Meredith, a physician trained in primary care and infectious disease who no...

What does it take to lead a department responsible for 12 different clinical programs and numerous future healthcare providers? In an increasingly complex academic and clinical domain, today’s guest believes that the answer often boils down to two fundamental human elements: trust and respect.

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth are joined by Dr. Chris Ingersoll, Senior Associate Dean in the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences, live from the 2025 NATA Convention in Orlando.

Ingersoll shares insights from decades in ac...

How do you modernize athletic training education to meet the demands of the role in the current landscape? The past few years have seen a shift from rigid, hour-based clinical models to immersive, real-world learning experiences designed to create better clinicians.

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth sit down with Sam Hughes, Director of Clinical Education and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho, to explore how modern clinical education is evolving and what it takes to prepare athletic trainers for the realities of the job. Hughes shares how immersive clinical rotations...

In an era where healthcare is rapidly evolving, the path from being a new graduate to a seasoned expert requires a commitment to lifelong learning and a strategic approach to professional growth.

In this episode, host Andrew Rizza sits down with Tom Denninger, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, the Vice President of Clinical Development at ATI Physical Therapy, and Executive Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Advancement (iMSKA). Denninger has spent much of his career focused on how to support clinicians to achieve clinical excellence in every stage of their careers. Together, they explore the evolution of continuing education...

From experiencing homelessness and living in a tent as a child to becoming a three-time NFL captain and a Harvard-educated venture capitalist, Isaiah Kacyvenski’s journey is a masterclass in the power of resilience and a relentless work ethic.

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth sit down with Kacyvenski for a conversation that explores the human side of elite performance. Kacyvenski opens up about the raw reality of his upbringing in upstate New York, the “epiphany" he had at age 14 that led to his commitment to let no one outwork him, and the grue...

Despite the expanding role and value of athletic trainers in healthcare, outdated laws, slow-moving legislative processes, and inconsistent regulation are limiting their scope of practice.

Jamie Musler, LPD, ATC, is a governor-appointed member and chair of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Allied Health and an executive board member for the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). He has spent decades shaping policy, investigating ethical violations, and advocating for the future of athletic training.

In this episode, recorded live at the 2025 NATA Convention, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth team up with Musler to explore...

Over an 11-year NFL career, Rob Ninkovich went from an undrafted free agent to a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. Central to that journey was his relationship with his medical team, including the renowned Head Team Physician, Dr. Thomas Gill.

In this episode, they join hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth for an inside look at the physical and mental demands of a professional football career, as well as the evolving culture of athlete care.

Dr. Gill offers the surgeon's perspective on balancing an athlete's career demands...

Over the past few years, the medical treatment of weight loss with various GLP-1 medications has dominated headlines, and conflicting stories on social media have created confusion and controversy. Today’s guest, Dr. Meghan Garcia-Webb, bridges the worlds of obesity care and life coaching to help patients conquer weight challenges through science, behavior change, and sustainable habits. 

In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth sit down with Dr. Garcia-Webb to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in modern healthcare. From GLP-1 medications (and why they actually work) to the biology of hunger, and the...

Isokinetic technology has become one of the most reliable ways to measure joint performance, guide rehabilitation, and elevate strength training. In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth sit down with Rob Potash, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at CSMi Solutions, to explore how modern isokinetic systems are transforming sports medicine. Rob explains the origins of isokinetic testing through the rise and fall of the classic Cybex machines and how CSMi stepped in to solve long-standing problems with accuracy, durability, and data integrity.

Rob introduces the HUMAC Isokinetic Machine and the...

Every summer in Falmouth, Massachusetts, thousands of runners push their bodies to the edge in one of the most iconic road races in America. Behind the scenes, a world-class medical team stands ready to respond to everything from dehydration to life-threatening heat stroke. At the center of it all is Dr. John Jardine - Emergency Medicine Physician, Medical Director of the Falmouth Road Race, and Chief Medical Officer at the Korey Stringer Institute.

In this episode, Dr. Cameron Roth and Andrew Rizza sit down with Dr. Jardine live from NATA 2025 to explore how decades...

In sports medicine, few professionals bridge the gap between rehabilitation and surgical precision like Dr. Catherine Logan. A former physical therapist and personal trainer turned orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Logan brings a rare, 360-degree view to injury, prevention, and recovery. Now at Colorado Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics (COSMO) in Denver, she specializes in complex knee and shoulder reconstruction for athletes pushing their bodies to the limit.

In this episode, Dr. Cameron Roth and Andrew Rizza dive deep with Dr. Logan into what makes an athlete “unbroken.” She shares her journey from working the clinic floor at J...

Domonique Foxworth has lived the full spectrum of the athlete’s journey - from reaching the NFL as a cornerback for the Broncos, Falcons, and Ravens, to leading the NFL Players Association, to becoming one of the most influential voices in sports media today. After earning his MBA at Harvard Business School, he transitioned seamlessly into broadcasting and writing, now hosting The Domonique Foxworth Show and appearing regularly across ESPN platforms.

In this conversation with hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth, Domonique opens up about his path to the NFL, the grind of re...