Getting Ahead of the Game
School’s out for summer! At long last, we can enjoy a different schedule, and one that is, hopefully, more flexible than it is during the school year. But, as we all know, school will start again before we know it and so will school sports. What better way to maximize your time than to schedule your child’s sports physical now. When August rolls around and sports practices begin again, you’ll already be ahead of the game.
Illinois State Regulations
The State of Illinois requires preparticipation physicals for all children participating in school sports. Both the IESA (Illinois Elementary School Association) and the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) require updated annual physical forms completed by a licensed medical practitioner for a child to participate in school sports. You can use the same form for children at both the elementary and high school levels.
What Happens During a Sports Physical?
Sports physicals are important to ensure your child is well enough to play whatever sport interests them most. Your child’s medical provider will take a thorough history, including family medical history. The history part of a sports physical might include questions about:
- Chronic or serious health conditions experienced by family members
- Whether the child has allergies and to what
- Health conditions experienced by the child (asthma, for example)
- Whether the child has sustained injuries in the past
- Whether the child has ever experienced dizziness or fainting while participating in sports
- Whether the child has ever been hospitalized or had surgeries
After your medical provider takes a thorough medical history, they will do a physical examination of your child to determine their current health status. This might include:
- A vision test
- Taking your child’s pulse, respiration rate, and blood pressure
- Examining your child’s abdomen, heart, and lungs
- Checking their ears, nose, and throat
- Evaluating their posture and strength
- Evaluating your child’s range of motion
Why Book a Sports Physical So Early in the Summer?
Although it’s unlikely if your child is in good health, there is a possibility that something in your child’s sports physical could warrant further evaluation. Their asthma medication may need a slight adjustment, for example, or your child might benefit from specific exercises or even physical therapy to strengthen their core or other muscles for optimal sports performance. Getting your child’s sports physical done early in the summer – at least six weeks before he or she needs it – ensures that you will have a sufficient amount of time to follow up on any recommendations your provider has. Your child will be able to excel at, and most fully enjoy, their sports experience when they’re healthiest.
Vallee Health Repair in Quincy, IL
Vallee Health Repair in Quincy, IL provides sports physicals as well as a plethora of other health care and wellness services. Our practitioner, Tasha Vallee, FNP-BC, FPA is an experienced, board-certified family nurse practitioner with full practice authority in Illinois. Her experience ranges from family practice medicine to urgent care treatment and complementary medical clinics. She has extensive experience and is committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive care. You can reach Tasha at (217) 577-2992 or by email at vhrillinois@gmail.com to schedule your child’s sports physical today.
Disclaimer: The information contained here was not written by a medical doctor and is intended for informational purposes only. This is not a substitute for medical advice.
