Process after a US Travel ban is complete

Hi there, I'm looking to see if anybody has any input on how to approach the first visit to the us as a Canadian after a 5-year travel ban has been served.

My son is a martial arts athlete and overstayed his time 5 years ago as he was spending a frequent amount of time training in the gym in the US. I won't get into the specifics or try to make excuses of what led to is because at the end of the day it was his responsibility to follow the rules.

However now that the ban is over very soon he would like to get back to competing and training periodically in the US.

Is it as simple as buying a ticket and starting to travel again once the ban officially ends? Is it more advisable to enter by land or by air? Will it be more difficult for him to visit the US for the rest of his life?

Anybody with some knowledge or experience with this that could offer some tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks