Sue Falsone ’96 PT, DPT, MS, SCS, ATC, CSCS, COMT, RYT, FNAP is the founder of Structure & Function Education and senior advisor to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Falsone has had an impressive career, much of which has been inspired by her early passion for sports medicine and human performance and the work ethic instilled in her during her time at Daemen.
Q: Have you always felt the calling to pursue a career in sports medicine and human performance?
A: Yes! I was recently in Buffalo going through old boxes at my childhood home. I saved everything in high school. I found a college essay for a scholarship in which I wrote that one day I hoped to work for the Buffalo Bills. While that didn’t happen, the Houston Texans and LA Dodgers are a close second.
Q: What originally convinced you to decide on Daemen?
A: I loved the small class sizes and wanted something more intimate and catered to my personal needs. I always felt like there was a strong support system with the faculty and administration, which had a big impact on me as a learner. Daemen helped me hone my passion for human performance and establish my work ethic, which I continue to carry with me in my career.
Q: What inspired you to create Structure & Function Education, and how did you establish yourself as a world leader in dry needling, rehab, and performance education?
A: I always loved education. During my graduate work at the University of North Carolina, I did a teaching practicum because I thought I wanted to go into education. While I also had the privilege of working in the athletic training department at A.T. Still University for a decade, starting my own education company when the opportunity presented itself seemed like a no-brainer.
I began speaking nationally in 2001, presenting my graduate school thesis, and had my first international speaking opportunity in 2011. The more I spoke, the more I loved everything about it—traveling and learning what people all around the world were doing in my field of study (sports medicine), and it encouraged me to continue to become the best possible version of myself as a clinician.
I continue to speak nationally and internationally. In November, I spoke to the Icelandic Physiotherapy Association in Iceland, and in May, I spoke at the Japan Athletic Trainers’ Organization (JATO) in Tokyo.
Q: What was it like to experience the World Series Championship win with the Los Angeles Dodgers?
A: It was a dream come true. It was also one of the most stressful times of my career and life! The way we won was so emotional and exhausting! In reflection, it really was a dream. My life and career would be no less without that ring, but I will admit having it is pretty darn special. So many people—athletes, coaches, and clinicians—go their whole careers never experiencing that. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to support the team and to be a part of that incredible journey with them.
Q: What has been the most fulfilling part of your career to date?
A: Helping athletes return to the field so they can do what they love to do. Bottom line, everything I do is to advance healthcare practices in the best interest of athletes. Whether it’s in policy or procedures, research or clinical skills, taking care of athletes and building relationships with them is what I love to do. From working with athletes in college, to when they’re drafted, to when they make it in the pros, to retirement, transitioning into new careers, and then taking care of their kids, those relationships are special. That’s why I do what I do—long-term relationships with my clients.
Education has also been a key and fulfilling piece. I can only treat so many athletes with my hands. But education? That multiplies fast. I teach 30 people, and then they go treat 30 people each. That adds up. I love teaching and being able to help guide and support clinicians just as they guide and support me. I’m still learning, too, and I learn a lot when I teach.
Q: What are some of your favorite Daemen memories?
A: Concerts at the Rat (today’s Wildcat Den) on Friday nights! I oddly loved studying at night as well in Duns Scotus. We would all be in classrooms on each floor with higher-level students on the top floors and lower-level students on the bottom, and it was so fun to learn, ask questions, and take breaks together.
Q: You’ve been very generous in your support of Daemen. Why is it so important for you to give back to the university?
A: I am blessed to be able to do that over time. It means a lot to me because Daemen gave me so much. It is where I started and where I have my roots. I would be in a totally different place if I didn’t go to Daemen. Lifelong friendships and relationships, my career, my work ethic, my passion for knowledge, and pushing the envelope of patient care—that all started at Daemen. And I am very grateful for that start and the support I got that set me up for success, and for the mission they continue to do.
I love how the university has grown (into a university for that matter!) and is now getting the recognition it deserves as a key player in healthcare education in Western New York. I also am very proud of where I came from. Buffalo means the world to me. It’s my home, even though I don’t live there anymore. Buffalo is a city of hard-working, gritty, and resilient people. I am so proud to be a Buffalonian. Giving back to Daemen means investing in my community, and I love that community.
Q: How do you carve out time to relax, unwind, and enjoy hobbies and interests outside of your profession?
A: I love doing yoga, playing the guitar, golfing, playing mahjong with my mom (that makes me sound old but it’s a nice way to spend time together when we are across the country from each other), studying wine, and relaxing with my long dog Richard.
Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing a similar career?
A: There is a Zen Buddhist word that I learned of in my travels that summarizes this point. It’s shoshin: having a beginner’s mind. Regardless of your experience, having a beginner’s mind is key. No preconceptions, just openness and curiosity. A beginner’s mind will take you far.
