Meet the Team

Nate is the founder and sole physical therapist at Uncommon Physical Therapy. He is residency-trained and board-certified in sports physical therapy, with special interests in prevention, performance, and recovery as it relates to the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle.

Nate has been in the Birmingham area for nearly twelve years. He earned his doctorate at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, completed a Sports Physical Therapy Residency at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and shortly after obtained his board-certification as a Sports Clinical Specialist.

For the better part of his career, Nate was a part of the team at Champion Sports Medicine. Through that experience, he was fortunate to have developed many meaningful relationships with world-renowned physical therapists, physicians, and athletic trainers, all of whom were instrumental to his learning. He gained experience working with athletes of all levels, aided in the development of continuing education courses for staff, helped implement special interest programs for running-related injuries and ACL injuries for the community, and served as team specialist at Samford University.

Over the last several years, he had the opportunity to join the acute therapy team at UAB, where he served as staff physical therapist working in various settings including orthopedics, trauma, cardiovascular, and even COVID units during the initial phases of the pandemic. He remains active in academics, serving as both a lecturer and lab assistant in the UAB DPT program, and is currently involved in clinical research within the UAB health system.

Like many in the sports medicine field, Nate has a passion for athletics. Growing up, he was a multi-sport athlete, competing in hockey, baseball, football, golf, soccer, and tennis. Eventually, he played baseball at the collegiate level, but has remained highly involved with these and other sports to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. It is through those experiences that Nate strongly advocates for multi-sport participation.

Although a Minnesota native, Nate along with his wife Meagan, their children Ben and Betsy, and their Labrador retriever Izzy, now call Birmingham home. It is through his strong faith, his supportive family, and wonderful friends, that have all brought him on this uncommon journey.

“You can’t be common. The common man goes nowhere. You have to be uncommon.” — Herb Brooks

Lance serves as the Supervisor, Technical Architecture at his primary employer and brings that same high-level strategic oversight to his role as the Webmaster and Technical Lead at Uncommon Physical Therapy. He is the architect behind the clinic’s digital presence and the primary driver for our specialized technical innovations.

A lifelong Birmingham resident and University of Montevallo alumnus, Lance has been married to his wife, Kelly, since 2009. They live in Birmingham with their two children, Ella and Edie, their dog Bindi, and a revolving cast of various "random critters."

Lance’s connection to Uncommon is deeply personal. Over a decade ago, he was sidelined by a second ACL rupture and a subsequent battle with arthrofibrosis—a condition where excessive scar tissue locked his knee in a fixed position. After months of "common" rehabilitation failed to provide relief, he sought a different approach and was paired with Nate.

By moving away from standard, "vanilla" rehab protocols and focusing on a customized, listening-first plan of attack, Lance didn't just regain his range of motion—he returned to the pitch. That experience cemented his belief in the "Uncommon" model of care.

Outside of the tech world, Lance is a prominent figure in the local soccer community. He serves as the Associate Head Coach at Pelham High School, where he helped lead the Panthers to a State Championship in 2017, and is a Staff Coach at Alabama FC. Whether he is architecting technical systems or coaching the next generation of champions, Lance is driven by the opportunity to compete.

“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” — Mike Singletary