For more than 120 student-athletes, the road to the upcoming sports season started with a stop at University Orthopedics.
The practice’s annual Fall Sports Pre-Participation Exam Clinic welcomed athletes from across Rhode Island and beyond this past weekend, providing the physical exams required for participation in scholastic and collegiate athletics.
The clinic is about more than checking a box before the season begins. Providers perform comprehensive evaluations to identify medical conditions or injuries that could place athletes at greater risk while competing.
“These exams help ensure athletes are healthy enough to safely participate in sports,” said Dr. Nicholas Lemme, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at UOI. “If we identify a concern, we can recommend additional evaluation before the season begins.”
In Rhode Island, student-athletes must receive medical clearance before participating in organized school sports. The annual clinic offers families a convenient opportunity to complete that requirement before practices ramp up.
For many athletes, it’s also become a yearly tradition.
One college athlete who has attended the clinic for several years said the process is quick, familiar and reassuring.
“I’ve been a patient here since I was in fourth grade,” said Bridgett O’Sullivan-VanEtten. “These physicals not only clear me to play, but they make sure everything is in check before my season starts.”
Bridgett’s twin sister agreed.
“It’s peace of mind knowing people I trust are looking out for me,” she said.
The event also helps address a growing challenge for many families: finding timely appointments for routine physicals. By bringing together multiple providers in one location, parents can often have several children seen during a single visit.
University Orthopedics physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and staff volunteered their time to make the event possible, helping streamline the process while ensuring each athlete received a thorough evaluation.
For the clinicians, the clinic is an opportunity to help young athletes begin the season safely.
“It’s exciting seeing these kids getting ready for another year of sports,” Dr. Lemme said. “As much as they’re excited to be cleared to play, it’s equally rewarding for us to help them get there.”
With more than 120 sports physicals completed, the clinic helped dozens of athletes head into the new school year with the confidence that they’re healthy, prepared and ready to compete.