WHY SCHOOL SPORTS PHYSICALS ARE SO IMPORTANT

If your child is enrolled in school sports, then it’s extremely important that they receive an annual physical before the season begins. This may seem unnecessary to some, especially if their child seems totally normal and healthy in every obvious way. But here are a few reasons that you should have this examination done every year — and why many school athletics departments require it.

Identifying Underlying Conditions

Though your child may appear generally healthy and capable of competing, they can have underlying health issues that are not apparent, which can lead to complications when they start playing a sport regularly. For example, your child may have a small hernia that doesn’t cause regular discomfort but can become significantly worse if they engage in sports.

They may also have mild asthma that doesn’t interfere with daily activities but may be inflamed by sports. Identifying these conditions before the season begins allows you to get the condition under control so that your child can compete at their full potential. Additionally, it can help your child to avoid exacerbating the condition or injury.

Learn to Avoid Injury

A sports physical is an opportunity for your child to speak with a doctor about how to prevent injuries. Many of the doctors performing these physicals are familiar with how to treat and care for athletes. They're able to provide advice on stretches, strength training, and other exercises, as well as best practices while competing, to prevent injuries from occurring. Most injuries in sports occur during practice, rather than during games, and so it's important that your child understands the safest ways to play, especially during practice.

Ensure Ability to Compete

In addition to identifying underlying conditions, a physical can also find existing injuries that can make it a serious risk for your child to compete in sports. For example, an existing concussion or undiagnosed heart murmur could make it a serious health risk for your child to compete in athletics of any kind. Checking for these kinds of conditions before sending your child to their first practice can be the difference between life and death.

It’s Often Required

As mentioned above, many schools and sports leagues require their students to have a physical in order to compete in sports. Typically, a physical is good for a full calendar year. However, some schools and leagues require athletes to get a physical before every sports season, regardless of whether they’ve had one in that calendar year already.

If you’re enrolling your child in sports, please ensure that they have a physical before signing up for the sport. If your child needs a physical, contact Lanier Urgent Care, or come by our urgent care walk-in clinic in Gainesville, GA. We provide more than just urgent care. We do sports physicals, camp physicals, and school physicals! Give us a call (770) 824-4610.