Physical Therapist | Strength and Conditioning Specialist | Sports Scientist
Dr. Sofoklis “Sofo” Sarellis is a staff Physical Therapist at Pro Care Athletic Performance (PCAP) in Islip, New York, where his professional experience spans strength and conditioning, sports performance, sports science, and clinical rehabilitation.
Dr. Sarellis was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from Adelphi University in 2014. He went on to earn his Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology, with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning, from Arizona State University in 2020. During his masters, Sofo completed a sports performance internship at EXOS Sports Performance in Phoenix, Arizona, assisting performance coaches with NBA and NBA Combine athletes across strength, speed, agility, and recovery programming.
From 2020 to 2023, Dr. Sarellis served as a Sports Scientist with the United States Air Force, supporting the 56th Fighter Wing Human Performance Team at Luke Air Force Base. There, he supported the performance optimization of F-16 and F-35 fighter pilots through data driven strength, conditioning, and cognitive training strategies, leading data collection and statistical analysis working with performance technologies including VALD ForceDecks, Push Band, Polar Team Pro, and Senaptec.
Sofo returned to school to complete his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at the New York Institute of Technology, graduating in 2026. During his doctoral studies, he completed multiple outpatient and acute care clinical rotations gaining experience across outpatient orthopedic and inpatient acute care settings. He completed his final clinical rotation back at EXOS Sports Performance, where he delivered rehabilitation and performance programming for NFL Combine athletes, using technologies including Hawkins Force Plates, Keiser equipment, and 1080 Sprint. His doctoral research examined the influence of hip position on isokinetic knee extensor torque and functional performance in female soccer players, and he received the Physical Therapy Clinical Education Performance award.
Dr. Sarellis currently maintains certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, an EXOS Sports Performance Specialist (XPS), and an Applied Performance Coach (APC), a credential he pursued under the mentorship of Dr. Ramsey Nijem, Director of Performance for the University of Kansas Men’s Basketball program. He also holds certification in Emergency Response for Athletes (ERA) and is currently working toward his Sports Certified Specialist (SCS) certification through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Across his career, Dr. Sarellis has worked with professional athletes across the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, as well as NCAA collegiate athletes and US Air Force fighter pilots.
Dr. Sarellis approaches physical therapy and strength and conditioning as two halves of the same discipline rather than separate specialties. His work is built on the belief that rehabilitation should not stop once pain resolves, but should carry an athlete or patient all the way back to the specific demands of their sport or daily life. He relies on objective, data driven assessment, from force plate testing to sprint mechanics, to guide every stage of a program and replace guesswork with measurable markers of readiness. He pairs that data with the coach’s eye he has developed through years of training and teaching exercise for both performance and rehabilitation, a form of pattern recognition built only through repetition and hands on coaching. This combination is the foundation he brings to every session, guided by the belief captured in Alexander the Great’s own words: “There is nothing impossible to him who will try.”