Dear Parent/Guardian,                                                 

Your student athlete has the opportunity to obtain their annual 2024-2025 sports physical at Graham High School. Providing these physicals free of charge is just one of the many ways that we can show the dedication of our Sports Medicine team to the health and safety of your student athlete.

Physicals will be conducted at Graham High School on May 21^st from 9 am to 12 pm.  The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) provides a standardized pre-participation history and physical examination form that must be completed for all students who intend to participate in school sanctioned sports activities. This form has been revised over many years to focus on health information and physical exam areas important to your child’s safety in sports participation. The form can be found online or one can be obtained from your school’s Athletic Director.

The health history and the consent portion of the OHSAA sports physical form must be completed and signed by each student athlete’s parent or legal guardian prior to their scheduled physical date. It is very important that you sign this consent. Without it, your student will not be permitted to have their physical on their school’s scheduled day. The rest of the multiple page form will be completed by the provider conducting the physical. It is important to note that a sport’s physical is not meant to replace your child’s annual check-up with their primary care provider. During a scheduled annual check-up, your provider reviews growth and development, updates vaccines, and assures that your child maintains up to date documentation of their health each year. 

Please note:  The standardized OHSAA physical examination form asks for heart data that can only be accurately assessed by touching the chest with a hand and a stethoscope. This cannot be done accurately through a blouse/shirt, and on some occasions, requires unsnapping the bra to listen alongside or under the edge of the breast. We understand this may be the first time your son/daughter has had this type of heart evaluation. We try very hard to make your child feel comfortable with this brief procedure. We know from experience that serious heart abnormalities have been detected by doing this part of the exam as described. We appreciate the wide variation in the ages and degree of physical maturity in students, as well as their sensitivity and modesty to physical examinations. It is our goal to conduct their exam in a professional manner with chaperoned privacy. We ask that you share this information with your child prior to their sports physical.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve your student athlete, 

Mary Rutan Therapy & Sports Medicine Staff