Worked example
Sports massage SOAP note example
A complete, worked SOAP note for an athletic client — written the way a massage therapist would document a pre-event session within scope of practice. Use it as a template for your own sports and active-client notes.
For examples across other presentations, see our general SOAP note examples, or the deep tissue SOAP note example.
Pre-event session — half-marathon
A recreational runner two days out from a race, wanting to feel loose without post-massage soreness.
Subjective
Recreational runner presents two days before a half-marathon reporting tightness in both calves and the right IT band after a peak training week. Rates tightness 4/10, no sharp pain. Goal is to feel loose and race-ready without deep work that leaves soreness.
Objective
Bilateral gastrocnemius and soleus hypertonicity, tighter on the right. Palpable tension along the right IT band and tensor fasciae latae. Performed pre-event style work: brisk, flushing effleurage, active-assisted stretching, and moderate compression to the lower legs and hips. Avoided deep, static pressure given event proximity.
Assessment
Findings consistent with normal training-load muscle tension rather than acute injury. Tissue responded well to flushing techniques; client reported legs feeling looser and lighter post-session, tightness down to 1/10. No signs suggesting the need to defer the event.
Plan
Advised light movement and hydration before race day and to avoid new intense stretching. Recommended a post-event recovery session 24–48 hours after the race for deeper flushing work. Suggested ongoing maintenance every two to three weeks through the training block.
What to capture for athletic clients
- Event timing and training phase
- Note whether the session is pre-event, post-event, or maintenance, and where the client is in their training cycle. This context drives which techniques are appropriate — flushing and mobility before an event, deeper recovery work afterward.
- Activity-specific findings
- Document the muscle groups under load for that sport, range-of-motion observations, and asymmetries between sides. Runners, cyclists, and throwers each present differently — record what's relevant to their activity.
- Pressure and technique choices
- Be explicit about depth and modality, especially near an event. 'Avoided deep static pressure given event proximity' is meaningful clinical reasoning that explains your choices.
- Performance-oriented plan
- Tie recommendations to the client's schedule: recovery timing after competition, maintenance cadence through a block, and home care that fits training. Refer out for anything suggesting an injury beyond massage scope.
Setting up a repeatable structure for these? Our treatment notes template guide covers what to keep consistent from session to session.
Document every athlete in under a minute
TouchTrace turns your spoken session notes into a structured SOAP draft like the one above — review, edit, and save between clients, even courtside.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a sports massage SOAP note different from a general one?
- The structure is identical — Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan — but the content leans toward performance and activity. Subjective often captures training load, event timing, and functional goals; Objective records range of motion, muscle-specific findings, and the techniques used; Plan frequently ties recommendations to a training or competition schedule.
- Should I document which event or training phase the client is in?
- Yes. Noting whether a session is pre-event, post-event, or part of maintenance during a training block gives essential context for the techniques chosen and the recommendations made. It also helps you track how a client responds across a season.
- Can I assess athletic performance in the note?
- You can document observable findings — range of motion, muscle tension, how tissue responded, what the client reported — but avoid diagnosing injuries or prescribing rehabilitation outside massage scope. When something suggests a strain or injury needing medical attention, note it and refer out.
- How quickly should I write a sports massage note?
- Ideally right after the session, while the detail is fresh — especially at events where you may see many clients back to back. Dictating notes on a phone between clients is faster than typing, which is why TouchTrace turns spoken notes into a structured draft you review and save in under a minute.
- Where can I generate notes like this automatically?
- TouchTrace generates structured SOAP drafts from your spoken or typed session notes and lets you edit before saving. The example on this page reflects the structure it produces.