Each school year student athletes are required to have a sports physical to participate in interscholastic athletics in grades 7-12.

According to the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), these physicals must be dated on or after April 15 of the previous year to be valid for participation during the upcoming school year.

For example, students who plan to participate in middle school or high school sports during the 2010-11 school year must have a physical that is dated on or after April 15, 2010.

Having a physical that is dated after April 15, 2010, in this case will allow the student to participate in any fall, winter or spring sport during the 2010-11 school year.

This pattern will be followed annually throughout the student-athlete’s middle school and high school career.

Most insurance companies will only allow one physical or well child visit per year.
For this reason, it is important that parents of sixth graders begin this cycle of scheduling the well child visit or sports physical after April 15 in preparation for the seventh grade school year.

This will insure that the student athlete does not have to incur the cost of another sports physical out of pocket without assistance from the insurance company.

Over the last few years, the Dowagiac Athletic Department and Borgess-Lee Pediatrics have partnered to provide sports physicals to all student athletes at the low cost of $15 per student athlete.

This provides a low-cost opportunity to local families regardless if they have insurance or not.

It also provides families that may have had a well child visit already that year an opportunity to get their student athlete in the cycle of getting the physical after April 15 without having to submit a claim to their insurance.

Once again this June, Borgess-Lee Pediatrics and the Athletic Department will again provide sports physicals to Dowagiac student athletes.

They will take place at Dowagiac Middle School on Thursday, June 10, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact the Dowagiac Athletic Office at 782-4470.

This week’s column is by Athletic Director Greg Younger.