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Research & Innovation
It starts with a Q:
For the latest cutting-edge research, innovative collaborations and remarkable discoveries in child health, read stories from across all our areas of study in Q: Advances and Answers in Pediatric Health.
Sports Physical Therapy Residency
We care for patients’ growing muscles, joints and bones through sports medicine, surgery, rehabilitation and research.
At Children's Hospital Colorado, we're excited to offer a comprehensive 13-month sports physical therapy residency to foster the development of clinicians interested in treating young athletes. Through this program, we provide a variety of clinical and didactic opportunities to give the resident experience caring for various athlete and patient populations.
Our mission is to develop leaders in sports physical therapy through collaborative interprofessional learning and clinical programming that includes:
- Progressing pediatric sports medicine research
- Teaching
- Advocacy
- Quality evidenced-based, patient-centered care
The sports physical therapy resident will primarily treat young athletes at two Children’s Colorado Sports Medicine Center locations. Most patients will be school and club sport athletes who are 12 years and older. The resident will also treat college-aged athletes and students at Regis University for seven hours per week. In all clinical settings, the resident will work alongside board-certified physical therapists in sports or orthopedic physical therapy.
The resident will work with highly trained athletic trainers and sports physical therapists for 200 hours of on-field event coverage. They will provide coverage for the following organizations:
- Local high schools
- Children’s Colorado partner organizations and clubs
In addition to a robust clinical experience, the program will offer a comprehensive didactic program with several different learning platforms. The program is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).
- Accredited by ABTRFE in May of 2022
- Successfully graduated one resident each program year
- 100% pass rate on the Sports Clinical Specialist board exam to date
- Where are our resident graduates now?
- 2021-2022 – Alice Barnes PT, DPT, SCS: Alice became a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy through ABPTS in 2023. Since graduating from our residency program, Alice has opened a private practice focusing on athlete global health, wellness and injury prevention. Additionally, she has completed clinical research, presented at national conferences, teaches in entry level DPT program, provides sideline coverage for youth and sporting events throughout the community and provides international and national coverage for AAA hockey.
- Certifications
- Sports Physical Therapy Resident (SCS)- Adolescent and collegiate management
- Functional Dry Needling 1 and 2 through the Spinal Manipulative Institute
- Herman and Wallace Pelvic Floor Level 1
- ACE Certified Personal Training
- Sitting for CSCS (2024)
- Certifications
- 2022- 2023 – Gabby Haugh PT, DPT, CSCS, USAWL1: Gabby is scheduled to sit for the Sports Specialist board exam through ABPTS in March 2024. Since graduating from our program, Gabby has gone on to work in an outpatient orthopedic and sports clinic that focuses on providing the surrounding community with rehab, fitness, performance training, injury prevention, wellness and recovery services. She has completed clinical research, presented at local and national sports related conferences, and continues to work with athletes in her passion areas of youth athletics, weightlifting/ powerlifting/ CrossFit/ Strongman/ bodybuilding, volleyball, and return-to-sport.
- 2021-2022 – Alice Barnes PT, DPT, SCS: Alice became a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy through ABPTS in 2023. Since graduating from our residency program, Alice has opened a private practice focusing on athlete global health, wellness and injury prevention. Additionally, she has completed clinical research, presented at national conferences, teaches in entry level DPT program, provides sideline coverage for youth and sporting events throughout the community and provides international and national coverage for AAA hockey.
- 32 hours of clinical care per week
- 150+ hours of direct one-on-one mentorship
- Weekly mentor meeting to discuss clinical reasoning
- 200+ hours of on-field event coverage
- Six learning modules for focused learning on each body region
- Resident-led learning through online lectures and presentations
- Live presentations and lab from local and national experts
- Monthly sports physical therapy journal clubs
- Written exams and live patient evaluation assessments
- University of Colorado Orthopedics Grand Rounds and sports medicine fellow lectures
- Teaching assistant opportunities at the University of Colorado Physical Therapy Program
- Participation in sports physical therapy research
- Individual and group treatment sessions on our outdoor sports therapy field
- Quarterly sports medicine multidisciplinary journal club and case studies
- Quarterly leadership book club
- Presenting at the Advanced Care of the Young Athlete Symposium
- Quarterly sports physical therapy training days
- Physician clinic and surgery observation
- Hospital-based and community educational presentations
- Several community outreach opportunities throughout the year
- Program start date: July 1st
- Education (completed by June 1st): Graduation from an accredited school of physical therapy
- Experience: work experience or at least one clinical rotation in outpatient orthopedic/sports setting
- Licensure (obtained by July 1st): Obtain state of Colorado physical therapy license
- Certification (obtained by July 1st):
- Basic Life Support (BLS) for healthcare providers/CPR
- Emergency Medical Response (EMR)/Emergency Medical Response for the Athlete (ERA) or current EMT or ATC
- Applications (October 1st - first Monday in December): Submitted through RF-PTCAS
- Other: Valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation for commuting around the Denver Metro area (up to 25 miles/day)
- Full-time (40+ hours per week) salaried position:
- Resident salary is based on 32 hours of patient care/week = 80% of staff therapist salary
- Resident salary is reflected in the financial sheet below
- Medical benefits, including dental and vision
- Continuing education stipend and opportunities
- Allocation of continuing education stipend may vary dependent on annual hospital and departmental finances
- Subscription to MedBridge for one year for sports certified specialist (SCS) certification preparation and other didactic opportunities
The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education program provides a financial fact sheet to ensure financial transparency for applicants, and to further understand the true costs to undergo residency and fellowship education.
Contact us
Please contact us at: CHCOSportsPTResidency@childrenscolorado.org
Residency Coordinator: Kaitlyn Flynn
Residency Director: Kara Copanas