Make sure your athlete is ready for the season with our convenient sports physicals
Because sports physicals – also called pre-participation physical exams – are required before students can join a school sports team, your child will need to have one before practices start. You can make this visit easier on yourself and your family when you schedule it at one of our clinics.
There are team members at our primary care, family medicine, urgent care and sports medicine clinics who are trained to perform sports physicals. That means no matter where you live in the region, you can easily find a Novant Health clinic that can help your child fulfill this requirement. At times, these checkups can also be included as part of your child’s annual wellness visit.
What’s the difference between a sports physical and a well-child visit?
Although sports physicals are important, the overall health of your child goes beyond the factors covered in those exams. The chart below explains what services are included in each of these types of checkups.
| Sports physical vs Well-child checkup |
|
|
|
Sports physical |
Well-child checkup |
| Review of medical history |
Yes |
Yes |
| Measure height and weight |
Yes |
Yes |
| Blood pressure and heart rate check |
Yes |
Yes |
| Check reflexes, coordination, and strength |
Yes |
Yes |
| Vision test |
Yes |
Yes |
| Check ears, nose and throat |
No |
Yes |
| Immunizations |
No |
Yes |
| Age-appropriate health screenings |
No |
Yes |
| Assess intellectual and social development |
No |
Yes |
| Provide age-appropriate information about child development including nutrition, exercise, sleep health, hygiene, and safety
|
No |
Yes |