Sports Physicals

As a parent of a young athlete, you may receive notification that your child requires a physical examination to participate in an athletic program. No matter how competitive your child is, a sports physical can verify that it’s safe for them to participate in their chosen activity. You may also choose to consult a medical professional to assess your child’s fitness level before enrolling them in a new sport or exercise program.

At Community Health Center of Central Wyoming, we perform in-depth sports physicals at our health centers in Casper, Lander, Riverton, and Dubois, to ensure your child is ready and prepared for strenuous physical activity.

A sports physical will include:

• Immunizations, if needed
• Height and weight
• Checking blood pressure and pulse
• Vision and hearing tests
• Examining strength, flexibility, motion, and posture
• Heart and lung examinations
• Abdominal examination
• Ear, nose, and throat examination

What are sports physicals?
A sports physical is a medical evaluation that verifies your child’s mental and physical ability to participate in sports and other physical activities safely. Also called a preparticipation physical examination (PPE), it evaluates your child’s overall health, development, and strength.

What happens during a sports physical?
A sports physical is similar to a standard yearly physical examination in that it examines your child’s overall health and wellness. However, it emphasizes physical ability and your child’s safety while playing sports and exercising. A sports physical will include a discussion about your family medial history as well as your child’s personal medical history.

After completing the examination, we can assist you with the necessary paperwork from your child’s school or sports organization, showing that it’s safe for them to participate. Otherwise, we recommend changes that must happen before your child passes the physical.

Does my child still need a standard physical if they get a sports physical?
Sports physicals and regular physicals are important to your child’s wellbeing, and one should not take the place of the other. Your child still needs regular physical examinations to evaluate their overall health and development, and they should be separate from the sports physical that your child needs for sports and activity participation.