Dr. Annissa Hammoud is the medical director of the Adult Medicine and Pediatric Clinic at U-M Health Brighton Health Center. In this article, she outlines the value of the annual sports physical for young athletes and encourages parents and caregivers to schedule those visits several weeks prior to the start of the school year.
It’s Aug. 16. Practice starts tomorrow. Your daughter’s cleats are too small. Your son’s water bottle is missing its cap. And those mandatory sports physical forms? Still blank, sitting on the kitchen counter.
Sound familiar?
Pediatricians understand the chaos. There is too much to do and not enough time. Trying to enjoy the last few days of summer while also getting everything ready for the new school year can feel nearly impossible.
That’s why it helps to think about sports physicals early. In fact, the ideal time to schedule your child’s sports physical is about six weeks before the start of the season. That allows time to address lingering symptoms from an ankle sprain that may need physical therapy, complete a cardiac evaluation for a newly detected heart murmur, or optimize an asthma regimen before the ragweed starts flying.
Your pediatrician’s office is the best place to complete this important visit. Because your pediatrician knows your child’s medical history, they are ideally suited to perform the exam, address any concerns, and complete the necessary forms. That continuity of care serves as an added layer of protection.
We think of the sports physical as much more than an exercise in checking boxes. Our approach centers on the American Heart Association’s 14-point cardiovascular screening, which includes asking about red-flag symptoms during exertion, identifying important family history or patterns that may suggest a genetic syndrome, and carefully assessing the cardiovascular system through a physical exam.
Beyond this important framework, your pediatrician will also focus on optimizing chronic conditions, reviewing prior injuries, and discussing any history of concussions. We spend time on concussion education, including prevention, keys to early recognition, management, and recovery planning.
Pediatricians also believe strongly that discussions about mental health and nutrition should be part of these visits. For many teens, a sports physical may be the only time they see a physician all year. We want to make the most of that opportunity.
So, take a moment to think about the young athlete in your home. Have you scheduled their sports physical yet?
The physicians at the Adult Medicine and Pediatric Clinic at U-M Health Brighton Health Center would love to cheer on your soccer star, distance runner, weightlifter, bowling champion, or marching band tuba player. We want to help give them every reason to have a safe, healthy, and fun season participating in the activities that energize them and make this time of life so special.
Many of the faculty and resident physicians at the Adult Medicine and Pediatric Clinic at U-M Health Brighton Health Center are accepting new pediatric patients (ages 0-17). You can schedule a visit now by calling (734) 647-5670.
For more information and physician profiles, visit our website.
