Michelle Cappello, MSPT
Clinical Manager, Physical Therapist
Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes

Michelle was born and raised in New Jersey.  She earned her B.S. from Villanova University, where she was a member of their women’s Division I soccer team.  After a knee injury in college, Michelle was introduced to physical therapy as a career and went on to earn her Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy from Boston University in 1993.   She is certified in PNF, a manual training method for stretching and strengthening.  Michelle is currently a guest lecturer with Samuel Merritt College.

Michelle began her career in physical therapy in California in 1994.    Recognizing the need for specialized care when working with the young athlete,  she helped open and now manages the Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes in Walnut Creek and at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland.  Michelle enjoys training and rehabilitating our local young athletes in sports ranging from soccer, cross country, baseball, swimming, basketball, track & field, dance, gymnastics and volleyball.  Her rehabilitation programs are based on optimizing function and performance, which are specifically tailored to each individual athlete.  She is an avid soccer player and draws on her experiences playing soccer and running marathons to assist her in recognizing and relating to each athlete’s level of commitment to their goals. 

Michelle is an active member in the American Physical Therapy Association, in both the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine sections.