But these annual visits are about far more than getting a signature on a form.

A yearly sports physical gives healthcare providers an opportunity to evaluate a young athlete’s overall health – physically, mentally and emotionally. From identifying hidden medical concerns to discussing stress, burnout and injuries, these appointments can play an important role in keeping kids healthy both on and off the field.

A chance to catch concerns early

According to Jessica Higgs, MD, primary care managing medical director, Central Region with OSF Medical Group, one of the biggest focuses during a sports physical is heart health.

“A big one we screen for is something called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy," Dr. Higgs says. "It's a change in the way the heart is built that makes it harder for blood to get out of the heart. It can result in sudden death and can be made worse by more activity. The best way to screen it is to have both the parent and student present. Because the parent has some family history that maybe the student doesn't know, so they can say if there are any cardiac issues that run in the family. The kid can also say if they're having any symptoms, and you can put those things together."

During sports physicals, providers also screen for concerns involving the heart, lungs, asthma, previous injuries and concussion history.

“There are some heart conditions that develop as a student goes through puberty and shortly thereafter. These may be things that don't impact them when they're younger but do become an issue when they're playing sports. Sometimes they're more willing to tell the doctor than they are to tell their parent when something is bothering them."

If symptoms or concerns are identified during the visit, additional testing, such as an EKG or imaging, may be recommended.

Sports physicals are required annually for students participating in IESA and IHSA athletics, but Dr. Higgs says students involved in club or travel sports should also continue scheduling yearly visits.

Looking beyond physical health

Sports physicals can also serve as an important annual check-in on a child’s mental and emotional well-being.

Balancing academics, practices, travel schedules and pressure to perform can contribute to stress, fatigue and burnout – especially for students playing the same sport year-round.

Dr. Higgs says overuse injuries are common in young athletes who repeatedly use the same muscle groups without enough rest.

"Actually, everyone should take a break. Even if it's just for a couple weeks, but a couple months is even better. Especially is the kid doesn't feel like they enjoy it as much. You can encourage them to take a month or two off and see where they're at."

She also encourages families to support students who want to try different sports and activities.

"The student should play what they really love," Dr. Higgs says, pointing out that if they want to play it year-round, that's fine. But if they want to play a different sport for a certain season, that's fine, too, as it can work a different group of muscles, they can meet new friends and learn new skills.

Most experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, recommend that young athletes play multiple sports and avoid year-round specialization in a single sport until at least age 12, and ideally until ages 15–17.

These appointments also allow students to bring up lingering injuries or concerns they may not feel comfortable discussing elsewhere.

Part of the visit may include one-on-one time between the provider and student, creating an opportunity for more open conversations.

Dr. Higgs says having both the parent and student present during certain parts of the appointment is especially important. Sports physicals include a questionnaire developed alongside the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), and research shows answers are significantly more accurate when both contribute.

Even for children who do not participate in organized sports, yearly wellness visits with a pediatrician or primary care provider remain important for both physical and mental health screenings.

At the end of the day, a sports physical is about much more than eligibility to compete.

It is an opportunity to make sure young athletes are healthy, supported and prepared for success both on and off the field.

Sports physicals can be scheduled with your child’s primary care provider. You can also visit an OSF PromptCare location. Visit the OSF HealthCare website to schedule their appointment today.

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Tens of millions of kids in the United States participate in organized sports. Roughly one in five of them are on a travel sports team.

In Illinois, the Aspen Institute’s Project Play reports 62% of kids ages 6-17 play on a team or take sports lessons.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched an initiative called Healthy People 2030, where one of the objectives is to have 63.2% of children ages 6-17 participating in sports. As of the most recent data reported in 2022-2023, the status of this initiative is reported as “getting worse,” and sits at 54.6%.

A major goal of these initiatives is to promote physical activity in kids. But how do travel sports, and sports in general, have an impact on kids’ mental health? Jessica Higgs, MD, the primary care managing medical director, Central Region, with OSF HealthCare shares the pros and cons.

"If a student is not performing the way they should, or they're not getting as much playing time and this is their identity, that can really have a detrimental effect if they suddenly think they're not very good at their one thing," Dr. Higgs says. 

This can cause low self-esteem, among other mental health challenges.

"It can also be very isolating for them if they are playing on a travel team that doesn't have anybody else from their school," Dr. Higgs says. "They may not have those close school connections and may feel like they don't have anyone they can talk to during the day." 

It’s not all negative though, Dr. Higgs says travel sports have plenty of mental health benefits. It’s a chance to share additional time with your team and your family.

"There are a lot of protective benefits from sports. You do get to experience a lot of teamwork, camaraderie and you get resilience training," Dr. Higgs says. "Things don't always go your way in sports. There's a bad break, a bad loss and you must work your way through that. So, there's a lot of mental health benefits from sports."

The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) published a survey in 2022 regarding college athletes and their mental health, stating that 65% of women’s sports participants and 58% of men’s sports participants agreed or strongly agreed that their teammates took each other’s mental health concerns seriously. Additionally, 56% of both men’s and women’s athletes reported they knew how to help a teammate who was going through a mental health issue.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), approximately 30% of women and 25% of men who are student-athletes report having anxiety, and only 10% of all college athletes with known mental health challenges seek care from a professional.

Parents: don’t make your children carry the burden alone. Dr. Higgs recommends frequent check-ins to see how they’re enjoying the sports they’re playing. If they speak up that they need to take a break, give them that opportunity.

Taking a few weeks, or even a few months, can help your child evaluate whether they truly enjoy the sport, and if they want to continue playing it. Your child should also be empowered to discuss any mental health concerns during their annual sports physical with their primary care provider.

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Fall sports are running at full speed, and with them come potentially career-changing injuries.

A tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the more common knee injuries in high-demand sports like football and soccer.

Keith Corpus, MD, is an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon with OSF HealthCare and Great Plains Orthopaedics. He says while the outpatient visit to fix your ACL may only take a day, the recovery time is much longer.

“It’s at least a nine month recovery process to get you back to full sports,” Dr. Corpus says. “There’s protocol we progress through. We have to get your motion back then we have to get your strength back. Then we have to get you back running, which is normally around the four or five-month time point.”

After this, patients will use crutches and wear a brace to protect the knee. 

“As we progress you into higher-level athletics at the six-month time point, we transition you typically to a smaller brace that you can wear while you’re playing. Then full return to sports is, at earliest, 9 months,” Dr. Corpus says.

Dr. Corpus says ACL injuries normally happen in sports with sharp changes in direction.

“It’s really common in cutting and pivoting sports,” Dr. Corpus says. “You’ll put your foot in the ground and then turn, and your ACL can tear. It can obviously cause things like pain, but it can also cause prolonged instability and other damage to your knee.”

In the young athletic population, Dr. Corpus says the ACL almost always has to be fixed.

“There are certain populations as we age that we don’t fix them. But in our younger athletes playing contact sports, we fix them to try and prevent things from happening down the line if your knee becomes increasingly unstable,” Dr. Corpus says. “It’s certainly surgery. We basically try to make you a new ACL.”

While the circumstances of an ACL tear are often not avoidable, Dr. Corpus says there are some proactive steps you can take to protect your knee as a whole.

“Having proper mechanics when you’re cutting, pivoting or landing are important. There are strategies we can have to try and limit those,” Dr. Corpus says.

Another tip: Take your time and don’t rush into things.  

“Work up into things. If you’re transitioning from one sport to another, or if you’ve been inactive for the winter and now you’re ramping up into things, make sure you’re doing so in a slow and deliberate manner,” Dr. Corpus says.

Dr. Corpus says ACL injuries are very common during the summer months with a lot of kids playing football and soccer. OSF HealthCare has orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine doctors available to evaluate you after an injury, and work through a treatment plan to get you back in action. You can find providers and locations here.

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