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The Sports Pre-Participation Screening process is an opportunity to ensure the health and safety of young athletes. Washington and Oregon State law requires young athletes participating in scholastic sports to have a pre-participation screen or examination before participation and every two years thereafter. It has been recommended by family physicians to have this screen every year since it is often the only interaction that young athletes have with medical professionals. The purpose of the Sports pre-participation screen is not to prevent athletes from participating in sports; but rather, it is to ensure that the athlete does not have a condition that may lead to injury or worsen as the result of participating in sports.
The Pre-participation screen offered through Skyline Hospital’s Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation Center is performed by a team of health care
professionals, which consists of physicians, physician’s assistants, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, certified athletic trainers, registered nurses and other medical volunteers. The screen
consists of a review of the athlete’s medical history, a general physical, and a musculoskeletal screen. A dietician may also be present to assess nutritional status and screen for eating disorders.
The goal of the screen is not to assign a diagnosis to a condition, but to refer the student athlete to the proper medical professional for further care
including detailed examination, diagnosis and proper treatment so that the individual may participate in sports with the least chance of injury.
For example, a high school volleyball player may be screened to discover a curvature of her spine (scoliosis). This condition does not preclude her from participation in volleyball but a referral to her family physician would be made for further evaluation and treatment of the scoliosis discovered to decrease the exacerbation of this condition while playing volleyball.
Skyline Hospital’s Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation Center and participating physician groups offer the pre-participation screen free of charge for
junior high and high school athletes.
So if you or your child is considering participating in scholastic sports, consider taking advantage of this screening process. We are currently performing one pre-participation screen a year that takes place at the Hood River High School in the spring. Our goal is to expand this community service to provide an additional screening process in the fall of each year at Columbia High School in White Salmon, WA. Specific dates and times will be posted on this web site and at local schools.
If your son or daughter has a known medical condition that you would like further evaluated with respect to sports participation, you should consider having a
Sports pre-participation Exam completed by a qualified physician or physician’s assistant.
For example, if your student athlete has been diagnosed with Asthma and you have specific questions regarding extent of participation in sports; it would be necessary to have further evaluation and treatment necessitating a pre-participation exam rather than just a screen. For further assistance with this procedure, contact your family physician or a physician from either Mid-Columbia Family Physicians or Columbia Gorge Family Physicians .
For specific information regarding Sports Pre-participation screens, please contact David Wiltsie, MSPT at Skyline Hospital.
For further general information or questions regarding Sport pre-participation screen/exams or other sports medicine issues, please contact the medical professionals at Skyline Hospital’s Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation Center at (509) 493-8863 or
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