The Westin Peachtree Plaza

210 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

Collegiate and professional soccer leagues rely upon their medical teams to treat soccer related injuries and return injured players to the sport in a safe and efficient manner. This activity will provide medical teams with guidance on the identification, prevention, and treatment of injuries and illness common to the soccer athlete. The team approach will be emphasized using case presentations, injury updates of current recommendations, and methods for returning to sport in common areas affecting the soccer population. Emphasis will be placed on acknowledging the rare, but life-threatening cardiac events and return to play shared decision-making model. We will address the importance of an Emergency Action Plan to prepare and rehearse for catastrophic injury and illness. Emphasis will be placed on early recognition of concussion, understanding unique clusters of injury, and return to play in the challenging post concussion spectrum. Attendees will gain exposure to MLS soccer experts with approach to complex musculoskeletal injuries such as the Footballer’s ankle and Achilles injury treatments, as well as complex decision-making approaches for intra and extraarticular hip pathologies in the professional soccer player. Attendees will be asked to participate in lively Go or No-Go exercises where experts offer their insight on difficult “game time” return to play decisions in the medically ill and injured soccer athlete. We will also give the attendees tools to better understand a team approach to care of athletes through sessions on effective team building, multimodal team approaches to return to play, and open forum debates. This Symposium will also feature nonoperative care of athletes by focusing on soft tissue injuries that dominate in professional soccer and how to best navigate these injuries. Additionally we will offer tools and tricks to help our aging athletes cope with arthritic changes by addressing biologic treatment, modalities, and load management.

Agenda Highlights

Dec. 13, 2025

Return to Play: Multimodal Approach

Medical Set-Piece / Emergency Action Planning: The Global Standard

Cardiac Updates for the Soccer Medical Professional

Sport-related Concussion

Rapid Fire Case Presentations: Real-Time Training Room Decisions

The Soccer Hip: Current Clinical Updates

The Soccer Ankle

Neurocognitive vs. Psychological Readiness for Long Term Injuries

Highly Effective Medical Teams

Soft Tissue Injury in the Soccer Athlete

Non-operative Management of Degenerative Joints in Soccer

Program Faculty

Planning Committee

  • Amanda Martin, DO | Elite Sports Medicine & Orthopedics | Symposium Co-Chair
  • Rehal A. Bhojani, MD | UTHealth Houston | Symposium Co-Chair
  • Sean Cropper, MS, LAT, ATC | Atlanta United FC
  • Scott Armistead, MS, ATC | Seattle Sounders FC
  • Brian Forsythe, MD | Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
  • Rachel M. Frank, MD | University of Colorado Sports Medicine

Target Audience

This activity is targeted to physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists, physician assistants, APRNs, strength and conditioning coaches, massage therapists, and psychologists.


Accreditation and Credit Designation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Hospital for Special Surgery and Major League Soccer, LLC. Hospital for Special Surgery is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Hospital for Special Surgery designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery's Maintenance of Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABOS credit.

Physical Therapists: Hospital for Special Surgery is a New York State Education Department approved provider for physical therapy continuing education. This course is approved for a maximum of 8.00 hours. 

This activity is provided by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners Accredited Provider 2512063TX and meets continuing competence requirements for physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licensure renewal in Texas. (Approval Period: 1/1/2023-12/31/2025)

Satisfies CE Requirements: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, KS, MA, ME, MI, MO, MS, MN, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

This course is not intended for use by any participants outside the scope of their license or regulation.

It is the licensee’s responsibility to determine approval for their state and discipline due to constantly changing requirements. We would, however, be happy to assist with this process if requested.

Athletic Trainers: Hospital for Special Surgery (BOC AP#: P537) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs). This program is eligible for a maximum of 8.25 hours / Category A CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.

Learning Objectives

Hospital for Special Surgery Continuing Education activities are intended to improve the quality of patient care and safety. At the conclusion of this course, the participant will be able to:
  • Apply current best practices in the diagnosis, treatment, and return-to-play (RTP) decisions for common soccer-related injuries.
  • Evaluate recent updates in emergency action planning, cardiac screening, concussion management, and soft tissue injury protocols.
  • Demonstrate improved clinical decision-making in high-pressure scenarios through case-based learning.
  • Compare global perspectives (e.g., FIFA, European vs. American approaches) in soccer medicine and integrate them into local practice.
  • Collaborate more effectively within interdisciplinary sports medicine teams to optimize athlete outcomes.

Exhibitors

For opportunities to attend the MLS Medical Symposium as an exhibitor, please reach out to Jackie Mynarski at Jackie.mynarski@mlssoccer.com.


Important Event Information

For registration assistance or any other questions, contact HSS Continuing Education at 212.606.1057 or continuingeducation@hss.edu.

All registered participants will receive a confirmation via e-mail.

Fees for cancellations are non-refundable. MLS reserves the right to cancel this course. In the unlikely event the course is canceled, MLS will issue a full refund of the registration fee, but will not be responsible for any other charges incurred by the registrant due to the cancellation of the course.

This program may be recorded, filmed or photographed. By attending this program, you give permission to Major League Soccer to use your voice and likeness for any purpose (promotional, educational, or other), in any medium, and without remuneration of any kind to you.

The course will be held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, 210 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA. A limited number of rooms have been reserved at a special rate. To take advantage of this special rate, please use the reservation portal linked here. Ensure to make your reservation by November 7, 2025.