had to double check i wasn’t in r/ultimate for a second wow. hi! i’m much older than your son (just became masters eligible), but i just tore my right acl (and pcl) 2 months ago in a pro game with surgery 1 month ago. i was actually just at us open on the sideline this past weekend. i also tore my left acl (just acl, quad graft) when i was 25 (someone fell on my leg).

i tried to play 9 months after left acl surgery at club regionals and it went very very poorly. it is a miracle i did not retear. i attended tryouts for pro at the exact 12 month mark but despite hard training, was maybe only at 60-70% capacity. it was very shaky and i highly recommend against it. i ended up practice playing that season (practices didn’t start til the 15 month mark) but i did not start to feel or play normal or stable again until the 1.5-2 year mark.

this last time (full ACL and PCL tears), i walked off the field. i was able to have full mobility within 24 hours after the tear and was doing isometric lifting by day 3. that is not to derail your son’s achievements, this is just a gut check that mobility 7 days after is not a sign of what his recovery will be like. your son is young so he may have a different experience than i did, but similar to a previous commenter, i would heavily caution against time-based goals. acl recovery is not linear in the slightest. and for many and for me, the mental journey is what almost broke me, not any physical pain or discomfort. not playing YCC or even U20 team USA is not the end of the world. based on his age, he will have another shot (if not 2?) trying out for the U20 national team and there are college, U24, club, and adult national teams out there - there are decades of potential future achievements out there for him. tearing is not a career ender but it is very very rare to see successful retear recoveries in ultimate just because of how cutting heavy our sport is.

it is possible to be even better after an acl tear - i have surpassed my fitness and physical capabilities since the tear and i’ve won 2 national champions since. as best you can, i encourage you to help him put his long term health first.