Sports Physicals for Young Athletes

Before th e Friday night lights and before the season even begins , there's one appointment that can determine athletic eligibility: the pre- participation sports physical. For pediatricians, it's often treated like a checkbox b ut in reality, it's a powerful clinical moment . S ometimes it is the one chance to catch something that can change a life. In this episode , we explore how to turn the pre-participation physical from paperwork into prevention. We'll break down what really matters in the sports physical, what red flags to watch for and how to use this visit to protect young athletes and support families. Kristina Wilson , MD , and Nate Howell , MD , join us for this episode . Dr. Wilson is the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Center at Children's Hospital Colorado and an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Howell specializes in primary care sports medicine and is also an Assistant Professor. Some highlights from this episode include: Current guidelines and recommendations for the sports pre-participation physical Why history matters during this exam How to handle the same day "I need this form signed now" visit How to best conduct this during a routine checkup For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org .

You can listen to Sports Physicals for Young Athletes online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Sports Physicals for Young Athletes is an episode from Charting Pediatrics by Jessie Cohen.

This episode is 29:34 long.

This episode was published on Feb 10, 2026.

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