Section V athletes have less than 1 month to get physicals

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Section V high school student-athletes have less than a month to get their physicals, or they can find themselves sitting on the sidelines until they’re medically cleared to play by their family doctor.

The rush to get a physical is causing a demand for last-minute appointments for some local doctors.

When fall and winter sports were allowed to resume last year, physicals were waived for student-athletes due to the pandemic. Thursday that waiver is no longer in effect.

Schools districts all across the region are requiring student-athletes to go out and get their annual physical, preferably through their family doctor. News10NBC talked to University of Rochester Medical Center Dr. Mark Maribelli.

"So the primary care doctor has a better experience with this patient," Maribelli said. "They’ve known them probably since they were a baby, and a lot of the background information that we’d like to know about a student-athlete is already well established at a primary care doctor’s office as opposed to maybe a team physician, or school physician who may not know the athlete quite as well."

Mirabelli explained what these young athletes should expect when they come in besides just a head-to-toe physical exam.

"We also ask them about other things like concussion. We ask about issues with eating. Issues with heat illness. Problems with asthma. We ask them about physical maturity questions," Mirabelli said.

Rush-Henrietta Schools Athletic Director Tom Stewart says any student who had a physical on, or after Aug. 1 of last year is already cleared for this fall and winter. Everyone else must get one.

"Well they can’t participate without the physical," Stewart said. "You know they have to have everything done, all the medical requirements have to be completed before they can participate."

Junior varsity and varsity sign-ups started last week, and Section V fall sports begin on Aug. 23. Student-athletes are urged not only to submit their personal information on the "Family ID" website but to also get their physicals done sooner rather than later.

"It’s best to be registered, and have everything in place so that you’re not rushing at the last minute," Stewart said.

M"Many primary care physician’s offices are already quite busy, and so we do everything we can to accommodate people when they need to be seen, but certainly, people should call early to schedule these types of appointments," Mirabelli said.

Although Dr. Mirabelli said your primary care physician is best for your student-athlete, he says sports physicals can also be done at many urgent care centers.