As spring heats up, it’s a peak time for young athletes in Fresno County to get back onto the fields or area trails. Whether a teen is playing baseball or a long-distance runner on a cross-country team, a sports physical is essential.
Before anyone on a middle school, high school, or college team joins their first practice, a Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation (PPE) is required. Parents need to make sure their child sees a doctor, and coaches need to make sure the signed document is in hand. It’s not just to protect the school or league, it’s essential to protect a child’s well-being and safety.
Real-Life Situations Where the Unexpected Changed Families’ Lives
Sports physicals may take up time and require a doctor’s visit, but they’re important for your child’s safety. Medical screenings detect potential problems that could lead to serious health issues or unexpected fatalities.
Eric Paredes was a happy, healthy 15-year-old California high school student. He played football and was on a wrestling team. All of that changed when he collapsed and died of sudden cardiac arrest. He had an undiagnosed heart arrhythmia. His unexpected death led to the founding of the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation and a California law to protect student athletes.
A 12-year-old soccer player in San Bernardino died during practice. He started having trouble breathing and collapsed. He had no known medical issues, but Dr. Ilam Shapiro said cardiac arrest events in children aren’t as uncommon as you might think.
A 15-year-old Kentucky high schooler collapsed during softball tryouts in February. She started having problems breathing and died at the hospital. Her cause of death was a blood clot in her lung.
These are just a few stories of student athletes who passed away unexpectedly from conditions people would never expect a child to have. That’s why sports physicals are essential. A comprehensive health screening, paired with information about the family’s health history, helps keep students safe during tryouts, practices, and games.
Understanding California’s Rules and Regulations
California’s Interscholastic Federation sets the rules and regulations for student athletes in Fresno. The organization makes it clear that participation in school sports is a privilege, not a right. Fresno’s youth must agree that:
- Education comes first, so students must be enrolled full-time and maintain an unweighted GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Student athletes must receive an annual sports physical (Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation) from a medical practitioner before tryouts, practices, and games.
- Student athletes suspected of having a concussion must undergo a sports physical with a licensed healthcare provider trained in concussion management before returning to the team. A return-to-play plan must be provided within seven days of the concussion diagnosis.
- Physician assistants and nurse practitioners may only provide clearance to play if a medical doctor supervises the evaluation.
- Any student showing signs of heat illness (heat exhaustion or heat stroke) must be removed from practice or play for the rest of the day and evaluated by a licensed health care provider to obtain clearance to play.
In addition to CIF rules, California has two laws that apply to students.
1. AB 1639 – The Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act
Schools are to provide information on sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs, and require a parent or guardian to sign a form stating they’ve received the information.
If a student athlete faints or passes out during a practice, tryout, or game, the coach, athletic director, or athletic trainer must remove that student-athlete from the team until a qualified medical professional (physician, surgeon, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant) provides medical clearance.
2. AB 2127 – Concussion Protocols
Any student athlete showing signs of a concussion must be removed from the team immediately and see a doctor trained in concussion care. After a diagnosis, the athlete cannot return for at least 7 days. When returning to the team, the player must follow a return-to-play recommendation under the supervision of a medical professional.
What to Expect During a Sports Physical
What happens during a PPE? It’s not a routine check-up. It’s a highly specialized screening that involves several tests and honest answers to questions.
1. Medical History
A complete medical history is necessary to inform the doctor of any concerning health issues. If there is a family history of sudden cardiac death in past generations, that is clearly a concern for a student who wants to participate in sports.
Be prepared to answer questions like these.
- Have you ever been diagnosed with a heart murmur or high blood pressure?
- Have you ever become dizzy or passed out during strenuous workouts or activities?
- Have you ever been short of breath or felt chest pain without any reason?
- Do you currently take any medications, prescription or over-the-counter? How about herbal supplements?
- Do you have asthma? Is it well managed? How?
2. Health Exam
Next is the exam. The doctor will record your child’s height, weight, blood pressure, and overall appearance. They will check for issues like dehydration, vision problems, and proper bone development.
The doctor listens to your child’s heart and lungs, checking for signs of a murmur or asthma. The cardiovascular exam will include checks while lying down and then getting up quickly.
Feeling the abdomen provides insights into an enlarged spleen or possible liver health problems. It can also help a doctor diagnose a hernia, which might need attention to keep the situation from worsening on the field.
An examination of the different joints – knee, ankle, hip, elbow, wrist, and shoulder – is completed. A scoliosis screening might be performed on a female athlete.
Bloodwork and urine tests may be performed to screen for issues such as steroid use or health problems like low iron, which affects the blood’s ability to transport oxygen throughout the body.
Finally, the skin is examined for possible communicable conditions like impetigo, ringworm, or scabies. In a contact sport, you wouldn’t want to spread these rashes to another player.
Tips for Fresno’s Parents and Guardians
Your child’s pediatrician is a good place to go for a sports physical, but it might be hard to get an appointment in time. Urgent care doctors specialize in sports physicals and can complete the PPE paperwork. As urgent care clinics have evening and weekend hours, it’s often more convenient for working parents.
Premium Urgent Care offers walk-in sports physicals and concussion care plans. If you’re on a tight schedule and need to ensure your child can play, our doctors offer same-day visits and weekend hours. Plus, we have several urgent care centers in Fresno and Clovis.
Sports physicals don’t have to be frustrating or time-consuming. Getting a same-day appointment isn’t difficult, as long as you remember that the last walk-in is accepted 30 minutes before the practice closes. Print patient forms to bring with you, and check in online before you arrive at Premium Urgent Care to save time.