MATTHEW SMALLING PT, CSCS

Matt Smalling is a licensed Physical Therapist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.  After graduating from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Mo. he spent 12 years working at the world-famous Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, Ca.  While at Kerlan-Jobe he had the opportunity to work with many amateur and professional athletes including Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGuire, Jim Edmonds, Jim Everret, Mark Langston, Tim Wallach, Marty McSorley, Danny Manning, Larry Krystkowiak, and Rex Hudler.  Matt was also selected to supervise the Kerlan-Jobe satellite clinics in Torrance and Anaheim.  In 2001 Matt opened Sports Institute of Physical Therapy outside Houston, TX and still maintains full ownership of the clinic.

While the focus of most Physical Therapy is rehabilitating injuries, Matt is intrigued by how these injuries can be prevented.  Having sustained an ACL tear in his knee Matt knows all too well the feeling of “being out of action”.  He also recognizes that most injuries occur from poor mechanics or improper conditioning.  That is why he has devoted so much time to learning the most scientific and effective methods of performing sport movements.

Matt has attended numerous educational courses on the golf swing and rehabilitation of golf injuries.  He is a certified golf medical professional through the Titleist Performance Institute and is a consultant and preferred service provider for the Melbourne Australia Golf Injury Clinic. While in Houston he worked closely with the 2 time Southern Texas PGA instructor of the year, Kevin Kirk, at the Cypresswood School of Golf where he worked with a number of PGA, Nationwide, and NCAA golfers.  He has been playing golf for 38 years and carries a 5 handicap.

Although golf is now the sport of choice for Matt to participate in he loves to watch his son play baseball.  He has seen first hand how the number of arm injuries from pitching is increasing in the younger population.  Many youngsters are playing year round and resting less than a major league pitcher!  In addition, most kids are getting either poor information or none at all in regards to proper mechanics. 

Matt has attended courses through the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Association and National Strength and Conditioning Association.  He has also had the privilege to work with Dr. Lewis Yocum and Dr. Ralph Gambardella who are the team orthopedic surgeons for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Los Angeles Dodgers respectively.  Matt has spent time with Tom House of the National Pitching Association and is a certified NPA instructor.  Tom is the foremost authority on pitching mechanics and has instructed Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Rob Nenn, Mark Prior and many others.  His research at the NPA (www.nationalpitching.net) provides the most recent and accurate information regarding the pitching motion.

Matt currently owns the Athletic Development Center which is located at Athletic PT (www.AthleticPT.com) in their Westlake Village and Simi Valley facilities..