Caring for the school-aged athlete

Younger athletes are participating in more activities today than ever before. The primary care physician needs to fulfill the role of guiding these athletes into their activities safely with recommendations to help prevent injuries and other health conditions that may occur during their training and participation. Knowledge covering preparticipation examinations, cardiovascular concerns, nutrition, maturation, and general rehabilitation of injuries will be necessary for the care of these younger athletes. This article provides a general overview of these areas.