To get your child cleared to play, download the current WV sports physical form from the WVSSAC website, complete the parent and student health history at home, take it to a licensed physician, APRN, or physician assistant for the exam, and submit the signed form to the school’s principal’s office before the first practice. A physical done on or after May 1 covers the entire following school year.1West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. New Physical Forms for 2026-27 Available
Where to Download the Current Form
WVSSAC publishes a new version each year, so use the current PDF rather than one left over from last season. It’s a free download from the WVSSAC forms page.2West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. Forms School athletic departments usually keep printed copies in the front office, and Community Care of West Virginia health centers stock the form at every location.3Community Care of West Virginia. SBHC Information for Parents Print it before your appointment. Providers don’t always have the right year’s form on hand.
Who Is Allowed to Perform the Exam
WVSSAC accepts the signature of only three types of provider: a licensed physician (MD or DO), a licensed advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), or a licensed physician assistant (PA).4West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. 2025-2026 WVSSAC Rules and Regs Final Chiropractors, physical therapists, and other specialists outside those three categories cannot sign the form, even if their state license lets them perform physical exams. If you’re not sure your provider qualifies, call the school athletic director before booking.
What You Fill Out Before the Appointment
The top portion of the form is for the parent and student. Complete it at home so the provider can review the history during the visit instead of waiting on paperwork. You’ll need the child’s insurance information and the name and contact details for their primary care provider.
The health history asks about prior concussions, surgeries, hospitalizations, and known medication or environmental allergies. Note any chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes, because school athletic staff rely on that information for sideline management. Answer the cardiac questions carefully. Items on family history of heart problems, unexplained fainting during exercise, and chest pain during activity are there to catch conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.5West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. Student Athletic Physical Form
Both the parent or guardian and the student must sign the health history section before the provider does the exam. The form also includes a parent consent authorizing the physical exam itself and emergency medical treatment at athletic events.5West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. Student Athletic Physical Form Check every signature line before you leave for the appointment. A missing signature sends the form back.
What the Provider Does and the Clearance Decision
The provider records height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and visual acuity, then listens to the heart and lungs and evaluates joints, range of motion, and any old injury sites. The cardiovascular screening is the central step. After the exam, the provider marks one of three clearance outcomes on the form: cleared without restriction, cleared with recommendations for follow-up or specific limitations, or not cleared because of an acute or chronic health risk found during the exam.1West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. New Physical Forms for 2026-27 Available
The May 1 Rule
Timing is the easiest thing to get wrong. The form must be completed on or after May 1 to count for the upcoming school year.1West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. New Physical Forms for 2026-27 Available A physical done on or after May 1, 2026, covers fall, winter, and spring sports in the 2026–27 school year, so one exam handles the whole year. A physical done before May 1 expires at the end of the current school term, which forces a second visit before summer conditioning or fall tryouts. WVSSAC rules also set a one-year validity window from the date of the exam.4West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. 2025-2026 WVSSAC Rules and Regs Final Book the appointment in May and you’re set.
Turning the Form In
Once the provider signs the clearance section, the completed form has to be on file in the principal’s office before the student can practice or compete, along with the signed parental permission form.4West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. 2025-2026 WVSSAC Rules and Regs Final Most families hand it to the athletic director or head coach, who routes it to the office. Some districts use digital portals, but a hard copy is always accepted.
Turn in every page: the health history, the provider’s exam and clearance, and the signed parent consent. A form missing any page or signature won’t be processed, and the student can’t practice until the file is complete. Keep a personal copy. If the original is lost or your child transfers schools mid-year, that copy spares you another exam.
Two Other Forms You Have to Sign Every Year
The physical is not the only paperwork required before the first practice. West Virginia law adds two annual acknowledgment forms.
Concussion and Head Injury Information Sheet
Under West Virginia Code §18-2-25a, the student and a parent or guardian must sign and return a concussion information sheet each year before the athlete begins practice or competition. If a coach, athletic trainer, or licensed health care professional suspects a concussion during activity, the athlete is removed immediately and cannot return without written clearance from a qualified provider.6West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 18-2-25A
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Form
West Virginia Code §16-57-3 requires each school to hold an informational meeting before every athletic season on the warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. No student may participate until the student and parent sign a form confirming they reviewed the cardiac arrest information developed by the state departments of health and education.7Little League International. State Laws on Sudden Cardiac Arrest Training A new form is required for each school year the student plays a sport.
Cost and Free Options
A sports physical at a private physician’s office or urgent care clinic typically runs $30 to $75, though the price can be lower if your insurance covers it as part of a well-child or preventive visit. Under the Affordable Care Act, most plans cover a set of preventive services at no cost from in-network providers, but sports physicals are not always categorized as a covered preventive service.8HealthCare.gov. Preventive Health Services Call your insurer first and ask whether the visit is covered and whether a specific billing code is needed.
Community Care of West Virginia offers free sports physicals at every school-based health center and community health center location.3Community Care of West Virginia. SBHC Information for Parents Many school districts and local hospitals also run free sports physical clinics in the spring. Ask the school’s athletic department in April or May for dates near you.