Depok-Behind an athlete’s flawless performance on the competition stage lies the support of various professionals who ensure they are in optimal physical condition and performing optimally. One profession that plays a crucial role in this process is the sports physiotherapist. Not only are they present when an athlete experiences an injury, but they also play a role in injury prevention, physical condition monitoring, recovery programs, and helping athletes maintain peak performance.
This profession is currently pursued by Delia Agustin, an alumna of the Physiotherapy study program in the Vocational Education Program at the Universitas Indonesia (UI) class of 2020. As a sports physiotherapist at the Student Sports Training Center DKI Jakarta, Delia assists student athletes in various sports. In her daily work, Delia not only treats athletes who experience injuries but also ensures athletes are in optimal physical condition before, during, and after training and competitions.
Delia’s interest in sports physiotherapy stemmed from her love of sports. While studying at the Universitas Indonesia’s Vocational, she increasingly understood that the contribution of a physiotherapist is far more extensive than is commonly recognized. According to Delia, every athlete’s movement is the result of a long and disciplined training process. Behind this process, the physiotherapist ensures the athlete’s body can perform each movement effectively, safely, and according to their physical capacity.
(Photo: Delia providing intervention to one of the athletes)
At the Student Sports Training Center in Jakarta, Delia is part of a multidisciplinary team that supports student athletes. She conducts pre-training physical examinations, evaluates movement patterns, develops injury prevention programs, provides treatment when injuries occur, and designs rehabilitation programs to enable athletes to return to training and competition safely.
These examinations and evaluations are crucial for early identification of injury risks. By observing an athlete’s muscle strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and movement patterns, physiotherapists can provide tailored exercise recommendations tailored to each individual’s needs.
In carrying out her role, Delia doesn’t work alone. She collaborates with sports medicine specialists, nutritionists, sports psychologists, coaches, and other healthcare professionals. This collaboration is key to maintaining athletes’ overall readiness, both physically and mentally.
“Physiotherapists aren’t just there when an injury occurs. In fact, our biggest role is before an injury occurs. We’re involved in movement screening, training load monitoring, injury prevention programs, and recovery after intensive training so athletes can consistently perform at their best,” said Delia.
This statement illustrates that sports physiotherapists are not simply healthcare professionals who treat injuries. They are also part of the process of developing athletes’ long-term performance.
One of Delia’s most memorable experiences was assisting a judo athlete who suffered a tibia fracture during training. The injury required a lengthy, gradual rehabilitation process.
(Photo: Delia also accompanied the activities attended by the athletes)
The recovery process begins with pain reduction, maintaining muscle strength during recovery, restoring mobility, and preparing the athlete to return to high-intensity training. Each stage requires careful evaluation to ensure the athlete can return to competition without increasing the risk of re-injury.
However, for Delia, the biggest challenge in the rehabilitation process lies not only in physical recovery. Serious injuries can also impact an athlete’s psychological well-being and self-confidence. Fear of repeating certain movements, worry about re-injury, and the pressure to return to competition quickly are some of the challenges athletes face during recovery. Therefore, physiotherapist support also requires communication, empathy, and the ability to build trust.
This experience further strengthened Delia’s belief that physiotherapists are an integral part of the world of sports. Behind an athlete’s successful return to competition after injury lies a long rehabilitation process, collaboration between various professionals, and consistent support.
Delia has been equipped to pursue this profession since she was a student at the UI Vocational. Through practice-based learning, Physiotherapy students not only learn theory in the classroom but also gain experience working with patients in various healthcare settings.
Clinical practice experiences help students understand how to perform examinations, identify movement and function problems, and develop intervention programs tailored to the patient’s condition. Students are also equipped to stay abreast of research developments and apply an evidence-based approach to physiotherapy services.
In addition to mastering technical competencies, students are also equipped with experience collaborating with other healthcare professionals, helping to prepare them for the workforce. The ability to communicate, work in a team, make decisions, and adapt to various conditions are essential components of a physiotherapist’s professionalism. For Delia, her journey to becoming a sports physiotherapist demonstrates that contributing to an athlete’s performance isn’t always done on the competition stage. There are crucial roles at work behind the scenes, ensuring the athlete’s body remains healthy, strong, and ready to face any challenge.
Through her profession, Delia demonstrates that physiotherapy contributes to career sustainability, improves movement quality, and helps athletes safely achieve their best performance. Behind every athlete’s step toward the podium lies a long process that may not always be visible to the public. It is in this process that Delia and other sports physiotherapists play a role—protecting, supporting, and ensuring athletes can continue to pursue success.
