When the summer winds down and the school year approaches, many parents find themselves juggling supply lists, new routines—and a checklist of health requirements. Among them? School and sports physicals. 
These exams may seem like just another box to check, but they play an important role in keeping your child safe, healthy, and ready to thrive—whether in the classroom or on the field. So, how do you know if your child needs one? And what should you expect from the appointment?

Here, Isabel Montoya, Riverside Healthcare Immediate Care Nurse Practitioner (NP), offers helpful information for parents and caregivers—so they know how to proceed with these types of exams.

Understanding the Unique Aspects of Both School and Sports Physicals

While both school and sports physicals are important, they serve different purposes. A school physical focuses on overall health and developmental milestones, helping to identify any issues that might impact a child’s learning or attendance. 

In contrast, a sports physical evaluates whether a child is physically fit to participate in athletic activities. Special attention is paid to heart health, past injuries, and musculoskeletal concerns that could increase the risk of injury.

What Do the Physicals Involve?

Sports physicals typically begin with a 32-question form, which helps identify potential risk factors and is reviewed with both the child and parent. While the exam assesses overall physical and psychological health, the questionnaire is especially useful for flagging conditions like cardiac issues that could pose dangers during athletic activity. 

Providers also check for a history of musculoskeletal injuries—such as fractures or sprains—as well as chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, seizures, or past concussions that might impact a child’s ability to safely participate in sports.

“School physicals will evaluate, for example, has the child gotten all their vaccinations? If they have asthma, do they have a plan to resolve the asthma attack at school? It's really important schools know about the child's illnesses or anything that needs to be treated with medication,” advises Montoya.

She also indicates it is best to have kids undergo these physicals about six weeks prior to the start of school or the sporting activity in which the child is participating. “Walk-ins are always welcome. But, we strongly urge people to make an appointment. They can either call in or they can go on MyChart to set up the appointment. That way they don't have to wait very long.” 

Should something concerning be discovered during the physical, that information is relayed in a timely manner. “If their doctor is within the Riverside network, we can have those charts sent out electronically. Otherwise, we'll often call the doctor's office and let them know of any abnormalities and that the child needs to be seen as soon as possible,” notes Montoya.

For more information about school and sport physicals click here.