Listen to this articleThe basics:
- JAG Physical Therapy now boasts clinics in all 21 New Jersey counties
- Founder John Gallucci Jr. discusses milestones, growth strategy and patient-first care model
- Strengthens partnerships with major sports organizations, universities and pro teams
- Gallucci releases a new book on pickleball injury prevention
2025 has been a year of continued growth and milestones for John Gallucci Jr. and the company he founded and leads, JAG Physical Therapy. JAG is one of the fastest-growing providers of comprehensive physical and occupational therapy, with over 170 locations across the Northeast. And with the recent opening of a new multispecialty clinic in Hackettstown, it became the first physical therapy provider with clinics in all 21 New Jersey counties. The company is headquartered in Bridgewater.
JAG was also a recipient of the NJBIZ Health Care Heroes Award for Physical Therapy and is a finalist for NJBIZ’s upcoming Business of the Year Award (for‑profit businesses – 500+ employees). Additionally, the company made the Inc. 5000 list for the sixth consecutive year in 2025 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
Gallucci was also recently named an honoree for the inaugural NJBIZ Executive Excellence Awards – and appointed to the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is also out a new book, “Pickleball Pickleball Pickleball: Don’t Get Hurt.”
NJBIZ caught up with Gallucci to discuss these developments and more.
“It’s been amazing entrepreneurial journey to take my own physical therapy practice and bring it to a multistate health care company,” Gallucci told NJBIZ. “And just the lessons that you learn, the ups and downs, the failure – and how you learn from the failures; and how you succeed from the failures. We’re very blessed. Literally, this is our 21st year in business. As you know, we started in West Orange.
“We now operate in three states – about to be four states. We have employees in six states. And I never imagined when my wife and I opened the door at 1,800 square feet – that I’d be proud to say that going into 2026 we’ll be 172 locations, and hovering around 2,000 hard-working, dedicated teammates working alongside us.”
Sense of pride
Gallucci expressed pride about the growth of JAG in the region. He pointed out that he was born and raised in the New Jersey and New York area.
“The weird thing to me is we are the first physical therapy provider on an outpatient side to offer outpatient care to all 21 counties in New Jersey and all five boroughs of New York City,” Gallucci said. “And to me, it’s the weirdest thing. Because I’ve had mentors – I’ve had colleagues.
“But it makes you feel proud that your teammates and you have been able to get the respect from the community and the patients – that we have become the brand for outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training services in the sports communities as well. So, very proud of all of it – and so proud of my teammates.”
He also described how the company evaluates potential new locations.
“We look at catchment areas based on having the opportunity that we’re an in-network provider, which was one of the things that we started from day one, being in-network,” he explained. “People told me that you’d never be successful being an all in-network provider. And I was very fortunate that as the economies continued to grow and change in the states, at the federal government – being in-network and being able to treat every American has been very advantageous.
“Every New Jerseyan, every New Yorker, every Pennsylvanian – can walk in our clinics and be treated and know that the insurance that they’re paying for is going to cover them. And I’m very proud to say that.”
‘Care for everybody’
Gallucci said many companies try to do this in and out-of-network thing. He stressed that’s not JAG’s model.
“Our model is JAG Physical Therapy is here to care for everybody. I come out of professional sports – and I’ve always believed that everybody should be treated as a VIP and professional athlete. Just as you’re trying to manage a professional athlete’s goals, we need to manage every patient’s goals.
“Whether it be grandma that’s having a total knee and wants to work in her garden to a fireman that’s got to run up a ladder and save a life, to a painter that’s got to use his arm and shoulder painting over his head — I’m proud to say that JAG Physical Therapy treats everybody the same and works with a patient’s goals.”
I’ve always believed that everybody should be treated as a VIP and professional athlete.
– John Gallucci Jr., founder and CEO, JAG Physical Therapy
Given the company’s growth trajectory, how does he maintain the culture and the level of service he promises?
“It’s all about bringing in like minds. As you know, I had a large expansion in 2018 where a colleague of mine and I put the companies together. And basically, we took my 18 locations and his 18 locations – and put them under the same flag,” said Gallucci. “The unique thing is, culturally, he believed in patient-first, and I believe in patient-first. And the teams truly adopted that.
“Being able to platform our company with the original 36 clinics – and all of those employees being the base and foundation to teach others that and join us – has been so advantageous to maintain the culture.”
‘The Crest toothpaste’ of PT
Asked about a milestone he was particularly proud of, Gallucci cited the company’s branding.
“I’m a brand guy,” he said. “As I like to say, JAG Physical Therapy is the Crest toothpaste of people with musculoskeletal injuries and illness. So, as you think of Crest for your teeth, anybody that has an injury or illness affecting their biomechanics or affecting their musculoskeletal system – I want people to think of JAG Physical Therapy.
“JAG is me. It’s John Anthony Gallucci.”
He emphasized the pride he feels when he sees the JAG banner flying down the Jersey Shore during the summer months or at a New Jersey Devils game (JAG partners with the team).
“It’s so proud that New Jerseyans and New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians have adopted JAG Physical Therapy as their first choice for outpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy care.”
Gallucci also cited the relationships the company has forged with some of the biggest, most iconic names in New Jersey and neighboring states.
“We have relationships and partnerships here in New Jersey with Rutgers University, Princeton University, Caldwell University, Seton Hall University and the New Jersey Devils,” said Gallucci. “Most recently, for our South Jersey friends and Pennsylvania friends we have signed an agreement and partnership and clinical with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Very proud of that. A colleague of mine for years, who is the head athletic trainer, Kevin Johnson, I get to re-engage with my colleague down there. And we’re helping him with some staffing needs. And we have a marketing partnership in the communities of South Jersey and Pennsylvania to get prevention concepts to the communities of the Philadelphia 76ers, which is the segue into the pickleball book.
“It’s easier to prevent an injury than to treat an injury. Then, in New York, we have alignment with New York City FC of Major League Soccer, Columbia University, Wagner College. So, we’re very proud of our relationships and partnerships.”
Talking pickleball
The discussion then shifted to his book, a guide on pickleball injury risk, prevention and treatment. It comes in response to the rapid rise of the sport. The book also arrives on the heels of the recent announcement of JAG’s partnership with The Picklr Manahawkin-LBI, one of the newest tri-state facilities from the nation’s largest indoor-pickleball franchise.
“And let me come to the book now. Obviously, pickleball is all the rage – growing like crazy across the country, and your new book focuses on that. What was the genesis of writing this book?” NJBIZ asked.
Gallucci cited his experience in pro sports.
“I’ve worked in the NBA. I’ve worked in the NHL. I work in Major League Soccer. I actually still hold the title as Associate Chief Medical Officer of Major League Soccer. So, every day in my life, I’m helping athletes prevent injury and get longevity, sustainability out of their bodies for their careers,” Gallucci explained. He noted he has also written injury prevention books about soccer and baseball/softball.
“My wife and I started playing pickleball. Although the clinics were getting saturated with people getting hurt in pickleball – I started to play pickleball with my wife in a couple’s league, and every week, I was helping someone off the court.”
Be prepared
Gallucci said he’d have conversations about whether players warmed up or hydrated and would often be told no.
“People weren’t preparing themselves,” Gallucci said. “I’m like – this is supposed to be a social, engaging, fun opportunity. Pickleball was made not for the highest level of athlete – it is for people to socialize and engage. Think about it — most often you’re playing with four people on the court. So, I said to myself, I’m doing a disservice based on my knowledge that I’m not trying to keep people on the court.”
He recounted that he was recording a JAG commercial for all-sports radio station WFAN and one of the folks working on the commercial with him told Gallucci that he had not done anything yet on pickleball.
“And I made a joke – and I said, we’ll do this: Pickleball Pickleball Pickleball: Don’t Get Hurt,” said Gallucci. “I said – that’s all I have to say. And ultimately, we’re walking out – and Kayla George, my chief marketing officer, said – that’s our next book. So, here we are with ‘Pickleball Pickleball Pickleball: Don’t Get Hurt.’ And it’s to keep people having fun, socializing and enjoying the game of pickleball.”
Common pickleball injuries
He said common pickleball injuries include a lot of upper extremities, like shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries, as well as sprained ankles, strained calves and hamstrings and knee injuries, as occur in all racket sports.
“But what you’re seeing, there’s a tremendous amount because people are going from work or going from the chair – and playing not an hour of pickleball. But they’re playing like two, three, four hours of pickleball,” said Gallucci. “And they don’t realize that if your body is not conditioned, you’re going to strain or tear a muscle.
“If your body is not trained to do the sport and you’re going to do it – fatigue is going to cause the injury. Dehydration is going to cause the injury. Poor nutrition is going to cause the injury. So, ultimately, if you look at a lot of the injuries that we were seeing — all are preventable. In one day, this is a true statistic, we had eight Achilles tendon tear repairs, surgical repairs, walk into eight different JAG Physical Therapy offices.
“At the end of the day, people are having a blast – people are socializing. Why not keep it on the court? So, we came up with the concept – and we were able to get it out. So, we’re very proud of it,” said Gallucci about the book, which is available on Amazon.
Takeaways
So, could he share any tips?
“The easiest message is, again, warming up is important; hydration is important; nutrition is important; understanding the sport is very, very important,” Gallucci stressed. “And then the biggest thing is understanding overuse injuries are caused by too much fatigue and can be prevented with proper recovery techniques.
“If you go through the simplicity of the chapters of the book – we basically go from chapter one, understanding the demands of pickleball, to chapter 10, understanding recovery techniques. And then we go into proper equipment. Do you know how many sprained ankles we see a month because people are wearing running shoes instead of court shoes on the court? Just sprained ankles alone we’re seeing, because of people wearing poor footwear on the court.”
The reaction has been positive.
“We can’t keep up. I’m amazed. Remember – I’m in sports and in physical therapy and athletic training for over 35 years,” said Gallucci. “I can’t believe the demand of people wanting me or my team members to come and speak at their pickleball tournaments, at pickleball clinics. We can’t believe the demand of the book. Amazon thought they were going to sell 50 books.
“They can’t believe the demand of the book. It looks like I’m going toward the Amazon Bestseller List. Who would have thought? But, again, the whole goal of the book is, it’s a fun, engaging, social sport – stay on the court!”
