Is Your Teen Trying Out for a Team This Fall? Schedule Their Sports Physical Today

With school starting, Friday night lights and courtside seats in the gymnasium are right around the corner. Whether your teen is a football player, cheerleader, or basketball star, having them checked out before practice starts is essential.

A sports physical is crucial to every teen athlete's season, and they should get one before playing their sport. The goal of the physical is to ensure your teen is healthy enough to participate and that there aren't any underlying issues we need to address for their safety.

At Calvary Urgent Care in Humble, Texas, our team provides sports physicals, one of the many exams we offer at our practice. Dr. Joseph Goin, an expert in family medicine, leads our team and ensures your child is healthy and safe for the sports season.

Why sports physicals are critical

A sports physical is a critical exam doctors perform on kids and teens before playing a sport. Every school requires athletes to undergo this exam before the first day of the season.

But why is it necessary? Although many kids are healthy and go on to play sports without any issues, others have possibly dangerous underlying conditions that increase their risk for injuries like fractures or illness on and off the field.

A sports physical is in place to ensure your child is healthy enough to play sports. Our team can perform a physical assessment and review their medical history to catch anything that could signal a problem during the season.

Is there anything I need to bring?

You need to bring nothing particular to your teen's sports physical except a list of medications if they take any, and knowledge of their medical history. You must know any past surgical procedures they've had and when, along with recent illnesses.

If your teen wears corrective glasses, contacts, hearing aids, or other assistive devices, ensure they also have them. Besides those few things, you and your teen can show up, and we take it from there.

Understanding the physical exam

A large portion of the sports physical is the exam. Dr. Goin checks your child from head to toe to ensure they're healthy, and nothing prevents them from having a healthy season.

There are multiple aspects to the physical exam. We typically start with taking your teen's height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen level. We then perform the following aspects of your teen's health:

Vision and hearing
Heart and lungs
Reflexes
Abdomen and groin
Ears, nose, throat
Skin
Joints and muscles
Posture
Flexibility

We also ask about your teen's diet, including any supplements or other substances they may take. For females, we also inquire about menstruation, including the date of their last period.

What else happens during the physical?

The next part of the sports physical is a review of your teen's health history. We want to know anything pertinent to their physical and mental health and a detailed family history. Information we will want to know includes:

Allergies to foods or medications
Immunizations
Previous or current injuries
Any hospitalizations
Any medications they currently take
Any exercise intolerance
Illnesses in the family
Weight gain or loss

Every aspect of the sports physical ensures your teen is completely healthy with no health issues that could put them at risk for dangerous illnesses or injuries during the season.

It's also a chance for you or your teen to ask questions about nutrition, training, or exercises that help them gain strength and prevent future injuries.

If anything arises during the sports physical, we can investigate it further through labs and X-rays and make adjustments so your teen can continue to play safely throughout the year.

To schedule your teen's sports physical, call Calvary Urgent Care today to schedule an appointment or request a consultation on our website.