Sports Physicals for High School Athletes

Hi, my name is Dr. Kari Rezac. I’m a sports medicine physician at Tahoe Forest Health System. Our goal is to keep all of our young athletes safe, healthy, and active. That being said, we want to make sure that people get the right exams at the right time. So today, I’m going to be discussing the difference between sports physicals and well-child exams.

At a well-child check, they go over everything, not just the physical well-being. They go over mental health, development, immunizations, and sleep. These visits are essential for everybody, not just a child playing sports.

A sports physical has a different focus. Here, we just focus on the nitty-gritty. We focus on the physical well-being. We’ll listen to your heart and your lungs. We’ll make sure that you’re moving okay, and then we’re going to address any issues that would be dangerous on the field—anything that we would have to take more precautions for or something we would have to look out for to make sure that you’re playing safe on the field.

So overall, what’s important to know is the difference. The sports physical is not a substitute for a well-child exam and really just goes over the physical well-being, whereas the well-child check goes over everything from sports to immunizations.

You can go ahead and call your pediatrician or your primary care provider, and they will get you the full well-child check. In addition, go ahead and bring those forms in too, and we can help you fill those out, usually in the same visit.

To schedule a visit for your well-child check, contact us at Tahoe Forest. Again, my name is Dr. Kari Rezac. I’m a sports medicine physician here, and thanks for listening.