UKIAH, CA., 7/12/25 — Is your child looking forward to strapping on his shoulder pads or perfecting her spike serve this fall? Then according to the state, your K-12 child needs a sports physical in order to participate in school sports. This is easy — and free — to accomplish at the Adventist Health Ukiah Valley’s Back to School Fair Saturday, July 19.
Adventist Health’s clinic providers, including family medicine residents, will volunteer their time to provide this much-needed service to students 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., with suggested arrival times based on age. Not only will attendees get a free physical —at the Back to School fair, kids can pick up free backpacks and a variety of school supplies.
Why are sports physicals required? Because they are aimed at finding problems that might pose a health hazard to the student, such as hernias, untreated asthma, an undiagnosed heart condition or a concussion injury.
To sports medicine and osteopathic physician Dr. Brian Gould, these exams are also a chance to ensure students are generally healthy and don’t have underlying conditions that will prevent them from participating in sports.
“It’s important especially for those who are first-time athletes,” said Dr. Gould. “During these exams, we ask screening questions to help us identify potential health issues that may predispose athletes to injuries and/or catastrophic medical events during physical activity. The goal of these exams is to ensure the athlete can participate safely and facilitate any additional workup necessary to be safe on the playing field.”
Dr. Gould noted, “Occasionally we discover conditions that would have never been diagnosed otherwise. During previous [screenings], we’ve been able to diagnose heart conditions and refer them for further treatment.”
Parental consent is required for the physicals, and the forms are available on-site. A parent must be present for a child to receive the free physical. Try to come during the suggested times for specific age groups:
- 7-9 a.m.: 9th grade to college
- 9-10 a.m.: 6th to 8th grade
- 10-11 a.m.: 3rd to 5th grade
- 11a.m.-noon: Pre-K to 2nd grade
The Back to School Fair takes place at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, 260 Hospital Drive, Suite 103, Ukiah. For more information, contact Adventist Health Ukiah Valley at (707) 462-3111 or AdventistHealth.org/UkiahValley.