Rolfing® Structural Integration for the Professional Athlete

See Athlete endorsements below

Andrew Brown began working with players in the NFL in 2009. In more recent years Andrew has been traveling around the country working with players in the NBA, including giving sessions to athletes at the highest levels of the NBA. Andrew and his wife Lauren work together and have received mentorship from Wayne and Sandy Henningsgaard, who have worked with athletes at this level for over 30 years and continue doing so (featured in the video below). This mentorship includes 4-handed technique training specifically for working with athletes at this level, formatting sessions in this unique context, and specific training for addressing joint issues in these athletes. Rolfing SI has been utilized by athletes in many professional sports for decades and continues to overcome barriers to recognition in professional sports due to medical establishments in these domains. Rolfing SI adds a valuable element to the overall package of treatment, maintenance, and prevention available to these athletes and the approach works synergistically alongside the approaches commonly utilized by these teams, helping to complete the treatment package.

*The list below is only a small fraction of Professional Athletes have benefitted from Rolfing® SI over the decades. Included are those who have publicly acknowledged Rolfing*

The Phoenix Suns were the first major NBA Basketball team to have a Certified Advanced Rolfer on hand, Jeffrey Maitland. "Phoenix Suns guard, Danny Ainge, who has received Rolfing for years, recommended the therapy to (Charles) Barkley. Other Suns, Mark West and A.C. Green, also have been Rolfed...with satisfactory results," reported the Arizona Republic, May 1994.

Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers coach says, “I’m the kind of person that likes to physically challenge myself. I think (Rolfing) is a valuable resource…for keeping myself together.”

Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, commented, "I feel like I benefitted from it after just having one session. . . . I still feel fresh. I don't feel like it's late in the season, and you know, due to working with Russell and getting Rolfing done, along with eating healthy, along with coach Carroll and our practice habits, I feel like I'm always fresh." after working with Certified Rolfer Russell Stolzoff.

MLB Pirates player, Sean Casey, remarked "I had to be helped up onto the table by my wife. He worked on me for three hours the first time, and after that, I didn't have any pain." and "“I tell them [family anfd friends] to let [a Rolfer] work on them one time and it will change their lives." (source: TribLIVE.com, 4/10/13)

Mark Howe, Hall of Fame hockey player, talked about how his father, legendary hockey player, Gordie Howe, benefited from work received from his own Certified Advanced Rolfer, Robert Toporek, "I just see him move so much easier now. He’s bending easier, and now he can sit down, lean over, and get his socks off and do whatever he has to do." He also commented on his own results: "Right from the very first session, things got progressively better. He improved my flexibility by 8–10 inches and it lasted 4–5 days. We had been working for 2–3 months to get me more flexible. One hour with Robert had increased my flexibility by 50 percent. It’s the first time I’ve been able to stand erect since I hurt my back."

Five Time Olympic High Jumper, Amy Acuff, stated that her experience with Rolfing Structural Integration contributed to her success. "Rolfing is an opportunity for discovery and it is so meaningful to me in what I am trying to achieve with my jumping, that I feel grateful that I have the chance to get the therapy." "The insights I gain from the Rolfing work help me picture where I might be able to extract a little more power and length in the act of high jumping. I notice that I feel more stable and long throughout my body after the sessions."

Sean Casey, Detroit Tigers All Star Baseball Player says Rolfing helped him resolve an injury. He would not have been able to play the 2006 World Series without the help of his Rolfer, Michael Waller.

Michelle Kwan and Elvis Stojko, 1998 Olympic Silver Medalists, have found they have a competitive advantage by working with a team of specialists that included Helen James, Physical Therapist, and Certified Advanced Rolfer. Elvis Stojko introduced Helen James, Certified Advanced Rolfer to Michelle Kwan in July during the Campbell Soup Tour of World Figure Skating Champions. Stojko, who has benefited from James' physical therapy and Rolfing expertise says, "Rolfing helped me to find my center of balance for competition; it puts my body in place." Working with Olympic and world champion figure skaters is nothing new for James. She says, "It's key for figure skaters like Michelle and Elvis, to find an exact balanced position in space. Balance and integration are the primary goals of the Rolfing process. Athletes find they have fewer injuries and recover more quickly through Rolfing work," says James. "They feel lighter and have more energy because they're not working as hard. They perform and complete their jumps with more ease."

Three U.S. Athletes trained at the Rolf Institute® in June 1998: John Bauer, a 1992 & 1998 Olympian Nordic Skier; Grant Ernhardt, a US Biathlon team member; and Gary Colliander, a Minnesota Biathlete. Their stories are highlighted in a press release entitled, "The Ski-Rolfing® Connection Is Stronger Than Just Skiers Getting Rolfing Bodywork." These athletes say that a career in bodywork fits an athlete's lifestyle & furthers their training. It can offer them the flexibility to both train and work in a profitable and independent career. More recently, Wendy Wagner, 2002 U.S. Olympic Nordic Ski team, has also received Rolfing SI.

Bob Tewksbury, pitcher for the Minnesota Twins says, "I have received many benefits from Rolfing. In 1991, my massage therapist recommended it as a way to get a deeper level of work. Although the benefits of muscle work come and go depending on when and how regularly I get Rolfing work, I have noticed long lasting benefits with regard to my breathing, my posture and my body awareness. I have used Rolfing mainly in two areas, for my lower and upper back to help with flexibility and stiffness and to enhance my performance. I plan to use it again."

Sarah Will, 1998 US Paralympic Gold Medal Skier, a member of the US Disabled Ski Team is a paraplegic athlete that credits her five gold metals to Rolfing. Will's said that "Rolfing gives you a competitive edge as an athlete." and “Rolfing increased my performance time 100%.”

Sharon Sander, ranked #2 on the US Pentathlon team, who's preparing to compete in the first women's Olympics pentathlon, says, "I recommend Rolfing for any athlete who has ever had trouble with injuries or doesn't feel like they are reaching their potential."

Joe Greene, two-time U.S.A. Olympic bronze medal long jumper says, "Rolfing works. It really makes a huge difference. I've been in track and field a long time and wish I had known about it sooner. My stomach tenses and my hips tighten when I jump. The Rolfing bodywork helped me to breathe and I felt taller. Rolfing has made a huge difference.”

Craig Swan, former N.Y. Mets pitcher, says, "Bodywork can extend athletic careers," says Swan, whose career ended from an sports injury. "I truly believe if I had been Rolfed in the early part of my career, I would still be pitching.” Swan’s recovery from a pitching injury inspired him to become a Certified Rolfer and help others.

Dr. Karl Ullis, Olympic Physician, says “Athletes always need help with chronic injuries, muscular strain, and overuse. Rolfing supports structural realignment for greater efficiency of movement and precise movement.”

Other athletes include:

Charles Barkley, former NBA star

Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys all time NFL leading rusher

Chris Carter, ex-Minnesota Viking football star

Qadry Ismail, Baltimore Ravens football star

Mario Lemieux, hockey legend

A.C. Greene, former NBA player who holds the record for most consecutive games played

Mark West, former NBA player

Danny Ainge, former NBA player and head coach

Tom Seaver, MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher

Bob Tewksbury, former pitcher for the Minnesota Twins

Ivan Lendl, former tennis champion

Bret Saberhagen, former Kansas City Royals Pitcher

Tom Seaver, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher # Jeff Linder, competitive cyclist

Iginia Boccalandro, 2002 and ‘98 Venezuelan Olympic luge team and Certified Rolfer

Ben Hindle, 2002 Canadian Olympic bobsleigh team

Isabelle Brasseur & Lloyd Eisler, 2x Canadian Olympic bronze medal pairs figure skaters

Brian Orser, Olympic Silver Medallist and World Champion figure skater

Lance Deal, 2000 U.S. Olympic hammer thrower, 96 Olympic Silver Medal

Erin Aldrich, 2000 U.S .Olympic high jumper and 2x All-American

Kristen Ulmer, former World Champion Extreme skier

John Egan, world renowned Extreme skier

Mickey Egan, Rumanian Olympic Skier

Grant Ernhardt, a U.S. Biathlon team member, 2002 Olympic hopeful