CATHOLIC YOUTH FOOTBALL

Building athletic and academic excellence in a Catholic environment

Physical forms

More information from

the Tennessee department of health website

Concerning these forms

 

 

In Tennessee, every child entering school for the first time is required to have a physical examination. Additionally, every student participating in school athletics must also undergo an annual physical.  As a part of a new pilot, the Tennessee State Board of Education is requiring physical exams of students in grades 7 and 9 who participate in school athletics to be reported using the Interscholastic Sports Examination Form developed by the Department of Health. 

 

Sports Physical Rule Change Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Athletes are some of the healthiest students. Why are they being required to have an extra physical?  This is not an extra physical. The health maintenance exam is a broad exam that includes a thorough history, a physical exam, screening for hearing and vision, laboratory tests, immunizations, and age-appropriate education. The health maintenance exam also covers all the items needed so that athletes can be cleared for participation in sports, so athletes will only need this exam and not an extra sports physical.

Does this mean that sports physicals aren’t good enough for our athletes?  Sports physicals are good exams for clearing students to participate in sports, but this represents only a part of a student’s total health. It is important to also address the physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. This can only be accomplished through the full health maintenance exam.

Where can my student get their health maintenance exam?  With his or her primary care provider. Every student should have a primary care provider—this is a doctor or nurse practitioner who knows them well, who gives them regular checkups and who takes care of them when they are sick. If your student does not already have a primary care provider, you should check with your insurance company to find out who is your child’s provider.

Who can perform the exam? The yearly health maintenance exam can be provided by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or a specially trained public health nurse or registered nurse.

What if my child doesn’t have health insurance?  Many children in Tennessee are eligible for TennCare or Cover Kids. If your student does not qualify for either of these programs and you do not have health insurance, you can click here to see if your local health department offers the health maintenance exam—many offer the exam on a sliding fee scale. Also, you may want to ask your coach if they have a list of local providers who they work with frequently.

Why is this limited to 7th and 9th graders?  This will be a new process for our students, our school officials, and our health care providers. By beginning with a small set of students (athletes in 7th and 9th grades), we will be able to understand the challenges that may arise when a large number of students need to have health maintenance exams.

What if my child is in the 8th grade? Or 6th grade? Or 10th grade? Or any grade other than the 7th or 9th grade?  For the 2008-2009 school year, only athletes in the 7th and 9th grade will be required to have a health maintenance exam prior to playing sports. Athletes in all other grades will be required to turn in the same sports clearance forms as in previous years.

Why is the state moving towards a requirement for health maintenance exams? Yearly health maintenance exams for children and adolescents are recommended by a number of professional health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. These exams are important for the early diagnosis and treatment of medical problems. The yearly exam is also a good time to provide education on important health topics—nutrition, exercise, alcohol and drug use, and safety issues such as seatbelt/helmet use. Given the large number of chronic medical problems that start in childhood, it is very important to tackle these problems at an early age, and to foster healthy lifestyle choices that may prevent chronic medical problems in adulthood.

When can the sports clearance form be filled out?  The clearance form can be filled out anytime after May 1.

What if my student had their yearly health maintenance exam before May 1? Will he or she have to have another exam before playing sports?  Usually not. This depends on how long it has been since your child’s exam. If it has only been a few months, and your doctor feels comfortable filling out the sports clearance form, then your child will probably not need another complete exam. However, your child’s doctor may want to check your child for those health aspects related directly to sports participation.

Do all student athletes have to have exams?  Yes. Both State Board of Education rules and T.S.S.A.A. rules require that any child, regardless of age, who participates in interscholastic sports must have an annual physical exam before participating. This includes students in both public and private schools.

What if my child was held back in either the 7th or 9th grade? Do we have to get the full exam two years in a row? No. It is not the intent of the rule to have students have two full exams in consecutive years. The full health maintenance exam is only required the first time a student is classified as a 7th or 9th grader. Otherwise, the student may have the traditional pre-participation exam required in the other grades.

 

 

 

 

Please read all information carefully

 

No player will be allowed to practice without these forms

NO EXCEPTIONS!

 

Every player will submit three forms. 

1. All players must submit a Disclaimer form.

2. All 7th graders must submit a Pre-Participation Physical Evaluation and EPSDT forms.  All non-7th graders submit the TSSAA Exam form.

 

This information must be submitted to your child’s coach prior to the first practice.

NO EXCEPTIONS!