As school sports gear up, a pre-season sports physical helps check your child’s heart, lungs, joints, and past injuries before they hit the field. These visits are also a great time to talk about concussion safety: how to spot a possible head injury and when a child should sit out. The AAP and CDC remind families that no game is worth risking a brain injury, and kids should never “shake it off” after a hard hit. Learning the signs now helps coaches, parents, and kids make safer choices all season.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026Safety
Sports Physicals and Concussions: What Parents Should Know Before the First Whistle
A calm, clear guide to safer school sports this fall
The Teddy Editorial Desk · Grounded in AAP & CDC guidance
In Brief
The Briefing
Explainer
What a Sports Physical Really Checks
A sports physical looks at your child’s heart, breathing, muscles, joints, and past injuries to be sure their body is ready to play. It’s based on AAP guidance and is a good time to review asthma, allergies, and any medicines they use during sports.
Guidance
Concussion Signs Kids and Adults Can Spot
The CDC lists common concussion signs: headache, dizziness, trouble balancing, confusion, answering slowly, or just “not feeling right” after a hit or fall. Any loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, or worsening symptoms needs urgent medical care.
Tips
The Rule Is: When in Doubt, Sit Them Out
If you think your child might have a concussion, they should stop playing right away and be checked by a health professional. The AAP and CDC say children should not return to practice or games on the same day of a suspected concussion.
Explainer
Helmets Help, But They’re Not Magic
Helmets and mouthguards lower the risk of serious head and face injuries, but they do not fully prevent concussions. Even with great gear, safe play, good coaching, and quick reporting of symptoms are key to protecting young athletes.
Questions
What Parents Are Asking
For the Clinic
Clinic Takeaway
This week, flag fall sports physicals and concussion education in your scheduling and visit flow. Add a brief HEADS UP–based concussion checklist to pre-participation visits, and give families a one-page, plain-language handout on signs of concussion and your practice’s return-to-play process. Encourage front-desk staff to ask about upcoming sports when booking August and September well visits, so needed school and league forms can be completed in one visit.
Source: CDC HEADS UP clinical tools; AAP Preparticipation Physical Evaluation (PPE5)
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