Sports medicine in children: preparticipation physical evaluation.

Millions of children seek sports physicals from their family physicians or team physicians every year. The preparticipation physical evaluation has evolved over the past 40 years. Physicians performing these evaluations need to be familiar with current guidelines regarding components of the evaluation and criteria for clearance for participation in sports. Whether electrocardiography or sickle cell trait testing should be part of the standard screening is still to be determined. The purpose of the preparticipation physical evaluation is not to disqualify athletes from competition. It is to identify issues that may put athletes at risk and to take the opportunity to make participation safe for all individuals involved in sports. With high school athletes, this evaluation may be the only opportunity for family physicians to engage this population in the health care system.