Madi Clay
- patient name: Madi Clay
- age: 17
- seen in: Center for the Female Athlete, orthopedics
- providers: Lora Scott, MD and Carla Bridges, MD
For athletes like Madi, every practice, every match and every moment on the mat matters. When shoulder pain started getting in the way of the sport she was “meant to do”, Madi and her family turned to Dayton Children’s, a place they knew would listen, support and guide her through every step of her journey.
starting with Dayton Children’s
Madi, a 17-year-old wrestler, had been struggling with a sore shoulder for a while. Eventually, the pain was hindering Madi’s ability to compete at her best, so she and her mom decided to go to the orthopedics clinic at Dayton Children’s Hospital.
The orthopedics team did their evaluation, then referred Madi to Dayton Children’s Center for the Female Athlete for ongoing care.
about the Center for the Female Athlete
The Center for the Female Athlete is a place to empower female athletes to become the best version of themselves by focusing on training, performance, nutrition and mental health. Athletes meet with physicians, dietitians, behavioral health specialists and athletic trainers to develop an overall wellbeing plan tailored to their physical and mental health needs.
Each Center for the Female Athlete appointment starts with screenings by a dietitian, athletic trainer, behavioral health therapist, and sports medicine physician. From the start, the specialists talked directly to Madi, a welcome approach as she nears adulthood and becomes more independent. While all the specialists were helpful to Madi, the ones that stood out to her were nutrition and athletic training.
the first consult: customized care just for Madi
During the first consult with her dietitian, Madi shared that she didn’t often make time for breakfast and would lose energy as the day went on, and that, as a wrestler, making weight was a high priority that she wanted to handle safely. To help Madi with those concerns, her dietitian explained that making time for breakfast would help her maintain her energy, and suggested food timing that would help her maintain her energy and strength in a safe, sustainable way.
Madi’s athletic trainer did an initial evaluation where she watched Madi do different exercises to see how her body moved. They found that Madi’s shoulder was not aligned correctly and that her ankles weren’t the strongest. The athletic trainer gave Madi some exercises to build her strength, help her alignment, and reduce her risk of injury.
“One of the things we love [about Dayton Children’s and the Center for the Female Athlete] was that everyone really listened to Madi,” Sarah said. “I was there, but the questions were aimed to her, and they really got to know her as an athlete and a person. That made Madi and me feel more comfortable.”
a heartbreaking injury
In March 2025, Madi was competing in a postseason wrestling tournament when she tore her ACL (a ligament in the knee that helps stabilize the knee during cutting and pivoting movements). She forfeited the rest of the matches for the day and went to Dayton Children’s for an X-ray and a referral to orthopedics. They had to wait a bit for their orthopedics appointment, so Madi’s mom reached out to Lora Scott, MD, Madi’s provider in the Center for the Female Athlete and chief of sports medicine, who got Madi in for an earlier appointment.
“We felt so lucky we made that decision to come to the Center for the Female Athlete,” Sarah shared. “It really expedited getting Madi a diagnosis and where she needed to be for care. Madi ended up needing surgery, and knowing and trusting the Dayton Children’s team already made us feel more comfortable going into that.”
tapping into the orthopedics team
Dr. Scott ordered an MRI and confirmed Madi’s ACL was torn. For the surgery, Dr. Scott referred Madi to Carla Bridges, MD, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Bridges and the orthopedics team stepped in from there, answering all of Sarah and Madi’s questions and making them feel prepared for the next steps. While athletes don’t need to be in the center to see orthopedics, being in the center helped lighten the process for Sarah and Madi.
“It was so easy to move back and forth – the Center for the Female Athlete team easily moved us to ortho and Dr. Bridges, said to follow Dr. Bridges’s care plan for surgery and recovery, and that they were here and ready when we needed them again,” Sarah said. “We felt cared for by everyone on Madi’s care team.”
navigating the emotional ups and downs
While figuring out the care was fairly seamless, the emotional weight of Madi’s injury was tough.
“As a parent, it’s really hard to watch your child feel not only the physical pain, but the mental pain and grief that they can’t do the sport they feel they’re meant to do. I had to learn to let her be sad and to give her space to grieve,” Sarah shared. “Even now, her Biodex [equipment that measures how her knee strength is performing] scores are really good, and she battles with ‘If that’s the case, why can’t I wrestle?’”
Sarah continues to admire and be impressed by Madi’s ability to push through the pain and be disciplined, both in wrestling and in her recovery. “Madi has proven she’s a very strong person, mentally and physically,” Sarah shared.
For Madi, keeping herself busy helps her keep her mind off her injury and when she’ll be able to return to wrestling.
Madi said, “Working, going to the gym, hanging out with my friends, all those help take my mind off wrestling, so I’m not just sitting there thinking ‘Why can’t I do this anymore?’”
future plans
Madi is still going to physical therapy with orthopedics once a month and is making great progress, working towards being cleared to wrestle. She’s working out with the team and doing some drills, while also focusing on her plans for the future. Madi knows she’ll end up back at wrestling, and plans to go to college to get her real estate and cosmetology licenses. She’s excited to create a future of her own.
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