Sports physical required before season begins

LAKE COUNTY —

Spikes? Check.

Football? Check.

Mouthguard? Check.

Sports Physical? Check.

Before stepping foot on a high school practice field, all athletes are required to have a sports physical, which evaluate the athlete’s health and fitness level.

Clinic Manager at St. Luke’s Hospital in Ronan Bev Hart said the physical is an important step in preparing for a sport.

“This is something athletes from middle school all the way to professional sports have to go through,” Hart said.

There are two parts to the sports physical. The first part is a medical history questionnaire. The second is an exam.

The forms ask a variety of questions concerning the athlete’s medical past. History of fractures, concussions, dizziness and weight loss and gain are all things doctors want to know before the exam. The questions also review the athlete’s habits concerning drugs, alcohol, dietary supplements and enhancements.

Added in April, there are now nine questions concerning the athlete’s cardiac history and health.

Hart, originally from Wisconsin where these questions have been included for many years, is happy to see the extra set of questions added.

Following the questions, the medical exam focuses on the athlete’s body. Doctors assess basic things like the athlete’s lungs, height, weight and vision as well as their musculoskeletal system that consists of their joints and muscles. Looking at things like their posture, range of motion and knee extension can help doctors review the athlete’s condition.

“It is extremely important to have these done if [athletes] want to participate,” Hart said.

Sometimes, little things are found during the exams.

“Occasionally, we hear a heart murmur,” Hart said.

If something does surface during the questionnaire or exam, the clinic refers the athlete to a specialist to take a better look.

Many of the athletes are healthy and the physical is just a routine check-up.

Hart said because of this, the physical may be the only chance for doctors to examine the student.

“The thing is, for the vast majority of students, these sports are the only contact with health professionals they have,” Hart said. “Most are healthy and don’t go to the doctor that often because they don’t need to.”

Athletes should have the physicals done six weeks before the start of practice. The time allows athletes to rehab any injuries or conditions that come up in the physical.

“Often times the athletes have them done days before the first day of practice,” Hart said. “Ideally, in the wish world, the kid can be in peak performance mode when practice starts.”

Western Montana Medical Clinic in Polson helped get student/athletes ready for the season and raised money for Polson schools last week by donating all money from physicals back to booster clubs. 

The money from around 137 $30 sports physicals will be given to Polson High School and Polson Middle School booster clubs, high school athletic director Scott Wilson said at Monday night’s board of education meeting.

This is the first year the program has run, and Wilson said it was a success.