Sports Medicine: Athletic PhysicalsÂ
All students wishing to participate in NCAA intercollegiate athletics or ACHA hockey must pass an annual pre-participation physical exam and provide proof of current health insurance prior to any team participation, including tryouts or non-traditional seasons. For incoming/transfer student-athletes, this physical examination must be provided by Dr. Jake Reisner or Dr. Caesy Yarling, Calvin University Team Physician. For returning student-athletes this physical examination will be completed through a medical review with an athletic trainer. Physicals are completed in the athletic training room prior to the beginning of each sport’s season.Â
Approval for participation is based upon a satisfactory physical examination and a thorough review of the prospective student-athlete’s medical history. The final decision on physical qualification or disqualification is solely the responsibility of the Calvin University Team Physician. Additionally, the team physician has the final authority regarding participation subsequent to an injury or illness.Â
If you have had surgery in the past twelve months or have a medical condition that may impact your participation status, please email sportsmed@calvin.edu immediately so that we can secure the necessary paperwork and/or testing that will be necessary to receive clearance for participation. This will ensure that you will not have to be held out of practices or competition while waiting for clearance.Â
2025-26 physical information, including updated links and instructions, will be available in June 2025. Email communication will be delivered to all incoming and returning student-athletes from Sports Medicine at that time. Please reach out to Jessica Rhodes at jr243@calvin.edu with any questions.
Instructions and SchedulesÂ
Guidelines for Student-Athletes Taking NCAA-Banned SubstancesÂ
Substances that are generally purported to be performance enhancing and/or potentially harmful to the health and safety of the student-athlete have been banned by the NCAA. This means that medications commonly prescribed by physicians for the treatment of ADHD and asthma, among others, are banned without a medical exception. Generally speaking, student-athletes should maintain documentation that supports the use of the banned medication in their medical record at Calvin Sports Medicine. This documentation can be a letter or copies of medical notes from the prescribing physician that documents how the diagnosis was reached, and that the student-athlete has a medical history demonstrating the need for treatment with the banned medication. A letter should contain information as to the diagnosis (including appropriate verification of the diagnosis), medical history, and prescription with dosage information. For more information about medical exception procedures and documentation, go to: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/1/23/medical-exceptions-procedures.aspx. Â
If you have questions about the status of your medications or medical exception procedures, please reach out to us and we’d be happy to review your situation with you.Â
If you have previously been diagnosed with ADHD and feel that you may need or benefit from academic accommodations here at Calvin University, we recommend contacting the Center for Student Success, Disability Services at (616) 526-6113.Â
