All Articles by Lindsey Barton Straus, JD

While the forms doctors fill out during an athlete's pre-participation physical evaluation or exam (PPE), here's what should be covered during
the medical history part of any sports physical.

If your child is heading off to sports camp this summer, experts say that the chances are he or she will be dehydrated at camp.  According to studies at the University of Connecticut, between 50 and 75 percent of boys and girls attending summer sports camps are significantly dehydrated, with 25 to 30 percent of the campers studied showed signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illnesses.

With statistics showing that one in five children will grow up to develop skin cancer and that protecting skin from the sun during childhood and adolescence is important to reducing the risk of cancer later in life, it's vital that parents become educated about sun safety, take steps to protect their kids against the damaging effects of the sun and build safe sun habits into the family routine.

There is a general lack of first aid, injury recognition and management knowledge among high
school and youth coaches, with some youth sports programs lacking even a basic emergency
medical plan.