October Athlete of the Month: Ella Pisani
In recognition of October as National Physical Therapy Month, we decided to honor an outstanding PT patient this month. We could think of no patient more deserving of the honor than Ella Pisani of Wrentham. Ella arrived at Elite in June 2018 after suffering ACL, MCL, and meniscus tears while playing soccer and undergoing subsequent ACL and MCL reconstructive surgery.
Since that time, Ella has worked tremendously hard in physical therapy with her PT and certified Sports Clinical Specialist, Ben Godin, and has demonstrated excellent progress in her knee rehab program. She is currently almost 4 months post-op and she’s progressing well with her current program, which consists of a variety of strength, plyometric, agility and balance training exercises. When we recently introduced soccer volleys to Ella’s balance training program, the smile she displayed upon realizing she could kick a soccer ball again lit up the gym!
Ella is an 8th-grade student at King Phillip Middle School and has played soccer for the past 9 years. She plays center attacking mid/center striker and was selected for the Elite Clubs National League player development program. She hopes to one day play D1 soccer and follow in the footsteps of one of her role models, Carli Lloyd.
When asked what defines a true athlete, Ella states, “A positive attitude and loving what you do.” As for advice to younger athletes, she simply states, “Never give up and keep working hard.” Throughout the often frustrating and arduous process of rehab, Ella has always maintained that positive attitude, even in the toughest, and at times painful, early days of the process. She’s demonstrated impressive mental and physical toughness, an unwavering work ethic, a commitment to her rehab program, and a level of maturity and discipline well beyond her 13 years. And though she’s typically all business in the gym, occasionally we’re fortunate enough to get a glimpse of her sense of humor, too!
We are very proud to honor Ella Pisani as our October 2018 Athlete of the Month, and we are excited to follow her career in the years ahead! Based on all of the qualities we’ve seen here at Elite, we know that her future on and off the pitch is very bright! Congratulations, Ella!
