Back-to-School Checklist: The Importance of Sports Physicals
The Gist
It’s back-to-school time again! As you shop for new clothes and school supplies, don’t forget to plan your child’s back-to-school physical – especially if they’re a student athlete.
Many high schools require sports physicals prior to starting sports (like football, softball, or basketball teams). A school may ban or require certain accommodations for your child based on the recommendations of the doctor who performs the sports physical.
Your child’s sports physical may include questions about your family’s medical history. That means if you’re not planning to accompany your child to the appointment, be sure that they’re familiar with whether or not members of their direct family line have had cancer, heart disease, or other common genetic diseases.
While sports physicals are occasionally offered directly through your school, you may incur an additional charge if your family doesn’t have health insurance.
If your family doesn’t have health insurance, you should shop for one before scheduling your child’s sports physical or back-to-school checkup so you don’t have to pay full price for the doctor visit. Visit Stride, enter your ZIP code, and provide some basic medical information to see all the plans available in your area — you can even enroll directly from our site!
In This Article
In Short
No one wants to admit it, but summer is almost over. If you have school-aged children, that means it’s time for back-to-school planning. Before you hit the stores or online sales for new clothes and school supplies, it’s important to schedule your kid’s annual physical. If they plan on participating in high school sports, they may even be expected to complete a mandatory sports physical. Depending on your school district, this might be called a pre-participation physical exam (PPE).
Sports physicals help keep your children safe and healthy when they play sports. During a sports physical, the doctor will check for certain injuries or conditions (like an irregular heartbeat) that might prevent your child from playing a specific sport. The doctor may also offer guidance for the student athlete on training, diet, exercise programs, and more.
If your school district requires student athletes to get a sports physical, there may be a deadline, so make sure you’re up-to-date with these schedules. Even if your child is planning on participating in winter or spring athletics, they might be required to get a sports physical at the beginning of the year for record-keeping purposes.
Finally, if your family lacks health insurance, you may end up paying anywhere from $50 to $200 out-of-pocket for your child’s sports physical. We recommend enrolling in a new plan with Stride — shop, compare, and find health insurance in 10 minutes or less to avoid these charges.
What Is a Sports Physical and What Happens During One?
A sports physical makes sure a student athlete is medically fit enough to participate in sports that year. It’s also an important time to check growing children for any emerging medical issues.
According to the NCAA, nearly eight million high school students participate in sports. Most states require sports physicals for every student athlete, so it’s worth checking with your school district, but typically you’ll get some sort of notice from the athletic department prior to the school year.
During a sports physical, the doctor will perform a full exam. They’ll also ask your child a number of questions about their mental health, physical health, and past illnesses and injuries. Additionally, the doctor may ask questions about your family’s medical history, including instances of cancer, heart disease, and certain other conditions that might impact your child’s participation in sports.
Depending on the outcome of the physical, the doctor will provide a notice or letter that states whether or not your child is fit to participate in sports. This letter is typically good for one year. If the doctor decides your kid can’t participate in sports, you may have to return for another checkup a few months later to see how your child is progressing. Either way, your child should come away from the physical with some tips for staying healthy in the upcoming school and athletic year.
What Is the Importance of Sports Physicals for Students?
You might be thinking, “My kid only wants to play golf. Why does he need a physical?”
The sad reality is that, according to a study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal, every year, dozens of student-athletes tragically pass away, including many who otherwise seemed physically fit. Further research in the journal Circulation found that sudden heart attacks are one of collegiate athletes' leading causes of death. We’re not trying to scare you here – we’re just stressing the importance of sports physicals and early detection of certain conditions.
On top of the regular physical, conditions a doctor will be looking for during a sports physical might include:
Heart conditions like heart murmurs or arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
Spinal conditions like scoliosis (sideways curve of the spine)
Past injuries, including injuries to muscles, ligaments, and bones
Past surgeries that may still be healing or in recovery
Mental health issues like depression and anxiety
What Information Should My Child Have Before Their Sports Physical?
Your school district or doctor may provide you with a family medical history worksheet prior to the sports physical. If not, you may need to make sure your child knows certain relevant details to answer questions the doctor might ask.
During the physical, the doctor might ask the following questions about your family medical history:
If anyone in your family passed away suddenly before 50 due to heart disease
If there is a history of conditions like diabetes in your family
If there is a history of high blood pressure or certain cardiac ailments like Marfan syndrome or irregular heartbeats
Additionally, the doctor will ask about your child’s medical history, including:
Whether or not they have experienced excessive fatigue during exercise
Breathing problems like asthma
Prior diagnosis of a heart murmur or irregular heartbeat
History of concussions or headaches
It’s best to have a frank conversation with your child about their medical history so that they can answer these questions fully and honestly.
Does Insurance Cover Sports Physicals?
If your family has comprehensive health insurance, your child’s sports physical will likely be covered by insurance. In most cases, it will be treated as your student-athlete annual physical, so you will only owe your regular office visit copay. In the unlikely event that your doctor requires additional lab tests, you might owe a partial payment at a later time as well. This can vary, so be sure to discuss this with the medical assistants before you leave the office.
Either way, you’ll be paying far less out of pocket than you would without insurance.
How Much Does a Sports Physical Cost Without Insurance?
According to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the average uninsured person will have to pay anywhere from $50 to$200 for an annual physical. When you count lab tests and other fees, you might rack up a bill of $600 or more if you require further visits with specialists. Because sports physicals are typically regarded as your child’s annual physical, you will be expected to pay some out-of-pocket amount. Clinics at major drug stores may be a more affordable option but may require early booking.
To avoid the headaches of massive out-of-pocket bills that could arise from your kid’s sports physical, we recommend getting health insurance.
But isn’t it difficult to shop for insurance? No — because we made it easy. All you have to do is visit Stride and enter your ZIP code and some basic medical information. Within minutes you’ll be able to compare and contrast plans that have been personalized to meet your needs. You can even enroll right from our site.
You’ve got more important things to focus on — like getting the kids to football, field hockey, basketball, and wait … who is doing cross country now?