Now's the Time to Schedule Your Child's School Sports Physical for the Upcoming Fall Season

If your kid wants to play sports for their school this fall, they should be working now on their skills and conditioning so they’re ready to go once practice starts.

There’s one more thing you need to do to make sure they’re ready to play as well: schedule their sports physical for the upcoming fall season.

Most schools require athletes who want to participate in their sports programs to complete a sports physical before starting practice that season to make sure they’re healthy enough to play.

At A+ Athlete Sports Medicine, we don’t do physicals for all 30 million of the students in the United States under 18 who receive medical clearance to participate in sports, but they are one of the core services provided by Adam Redlich, MD, and our team.

Here’s why now’s the time to schedule your child’s school sports physical

What does a sports physical include?

The goal of a sports physical is to ensure your student is healthy enough to safely compete in your chosen sport without risk to yourself or others based on your current health. If you’re unaware of a medical condition (such as asthma or a heart condition) your child may have, playing sports may be unsafe for them if you don’t follow the right treatment plan.

During the appointment, we’ll review your child’s medical history, including their personal health and any necessary family history. We’ll also do a physical exam, checking all vital signs plus your child’s eyes, ears, nose, throat, their reflexes, balance, muscle strength, and more.

If they have a history of specific medical issues or Dr. Redlich thinks they’re at risk, we may order more specific diagnostic tests such as a heart function or breathing test, blood tests, imaging, and more.

If everything looks good, your doctor will fill out the required physical form and sign off.

Why do you need to schedule it now?

You should schedule your child’s sports physical now for a few reasons. First, you’ll beat the rush. Most people will wait until just before practice starts, making it much harder to schedule an appointment as times will be limited.

You’ll also eliminate unnecessary added stress that can build up as the submission date gets nearer. Getting the physical done early gives you and your child peace of mind that you’ve done everything you can do to help them succeed.

Finally, you’ll want to build in a little extra time between the physical and the start of practice in case Dr. Redlich wants to do any follow-up testing before clearing you. This could be something like an orthopedic assessment, an asthma breathing test or even just a blood pressure rescreening. Scheduling the physical now gives you time to address any issues that may come up and still make the beginning of practice.

Completing your child’s school sports physical early in the summer is a great first step to helping them enjoy a successful fall sports season. If you’re ready to schedule an appointment for your child, call our offices in Robbinsville or Neptune, New Jersey, today or use our online booking tool to choose your own time.