Tampa teen athlete heals his soccer ACL tear with world-class care from FOI

Condition & treatment: Surgery & rehabilitation for a severe soccer ACL tear
FOI physician: Seth I. Gasser, MD, FAAOS

You won’t be sidelined for too long if you get the right treatment after hurting your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Just ask Zach B., who—despite a devastating left-knee ACL injury during his junior year—was back on the field for his final season before college thanks to Dr. Gasser and the rehabilitation experts at Florida Orthopaedic Institute.

Keep reading to learn more about torn ACLs and Dr. Gasser—plus, hear Zach’s dad Michael tell the story of what it was like for his son to receive customized sports medicine, physical therapy, and knee care at FOI.

What is a torn ACL?

An ACL tear is one of the most common knee injuries. The more demanding a sport is, the higher the chance of an ACL tear. These injuries are commonly seen in sports like football, basketball and soccer. Young athletes involved in agility sports usually need surgery to safely return to them, as was the case with Zach after his soccer ACL tear.

Who is Dr. Gasser?

As an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, Dr. Gasser is no stranger to helping athletes get back in the game. He serves as the team physician for teams across Florida, including:

• Professional
  • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Schools
  • The University of Tampa
  • Plant High School
  • Berkeley Preparatory School

---

Zach’s soccer ACL tear story

For some people, soccer isn’t just a hobby. 

That’s definitely true for Zach, who has always been all-in (with a dedication to playing the sport that proves it). He spent countless hours—typically training five days a week since he was nine years old—to elevate his dribbling, passing, shooting, and ball control skills to an elite level. 

And, all of his tremendous focus and work earned him a spot on Jesuit High School’s varsity soccer team every year since he was a freshman. Zach’s skill and passion are also why, just before he injured his ACL, he was named a 2019 Allstate All-American, an honor bestowed upon only the country’s best high school soccer players during their junior year for on-field achievements. 

With such a big love of the game and a bright future ahead of him, it’s probably no surprise that Zach wasn’t prepared to let his soccer ACL tear stop him from playing during his final season before college—at least, not without a fight.

Deciding to have surgery

At his first appointment with Dr. Gasser, Zach and his dad learned that being healed in time to play soccer during his senior year of high school was unlikely. “We cried when we left Dr. Gasser’s office that day,” Michael says. 

Dr. Gasser performed the ACL repair on June 4. With the procedure to repair his soccer ACL tear out of the way, Zach immediately began rehabilitation, focused on doing whatever it took to beat the odds and be healed enough to join his teammates back on the field for his senior year.

“Zach worked really hard to try to make it back in time for playoffs,” Michael says. “Although he progressed very rapidly, I began to feel like he wouldn’t be able to play at all, as a ‘return to play‘ is very heavily time dependent.”

What is a “return to play” assessment?

Also called return to sport, “return to play” is the term used for the permission granted by the doctor to return an athlete back to his or her sport following an injury. Recovery time varies from athlete to athlete, with some needing extra time to recover and rehabilitate.

Hopeful signs during rehabilitation

Through the post-op rehabilitation process at his follow-up appointments, FOI performed tests to measure Zach’s muscle strength and physical ability improvements. 

In one of those appointments in December, Elio Hernandez (Dr. Gasser’s nurse practitioner) saw some positive signs of recovery. “It was so great when Elio told us Zach was progressing faster than they initially expected,” Michael says. “He recommended that my son step up his workouts, strengthening his quads and hamstrings to protect his repaired soccer ACL tear.”

Getting the green light

In the back of his head, motivating him during rehabilitation, was the thought that Jesuit High School’s varsity soccer team hadn’t won Florida’s state championship tournament since 2001. If he had a chance to possibly join his team for even part of the upcoming season, Zach wanted to try to make that happen. 

“Playoffs started at the beginning of February and the team was having a very good season,” Michael says. “Zach asked me if he could do a test early, so I scheduled it for January 31.” 

Zach thought that his rehabilitation was going well, and his instinct was spot-on. At that follow-up appointment, his test results looked good. “To our amazement, Elio gave Zach his return to play clearance only eight months after surgery,” Michael says. “Obviously, I was very concerned, but Zach said he felt stronger than ever and didn’t want to miss out on a potential run for state.”

A complete comeback

When he stepped back onto the field, Zach was at home again. He’d been preparing for that moment since his soccer ACL tear happened less than a year ago. 

Suddenly, all the time that Zach had spent rehabilitating his knee and strengthening its surrounding muscles seemed worth every second. “He began training with the team and played limited minutes in the district and regional playoffs, making solid contributions to the wins,” Michael says. “His teammates were thrilled to have him back for the playoffs.”

With Zach back in action, Jesuit High School secured five wins to get into the state championship tournament—and the rest, as they say, is history. 

“Zach played most of the game, and Jesuit High School won 5-4, earning them the State 5A Championship,” Michael says. “He scored three times, including the game-winning goal on a blast from his left, non-dominant, surgically-repaired leg! It was a storybook ending after the long, difficult season.”

Published April 21, 2020. Updated January 3, 2025.

You might also like:

• When Are ACL Injury Symptoms Serious Enough to See a Physician?
• Patient Story: Carly N.’s Journey From Pain to Passion

January 3, 2025