Sports Physicals Near MeFHSAA EL2 preparticipation exams for student athletes
Your child's own pediatrician completes and signs the Florida High School Athletic Association EL2 form during the visit. Three offices across Miami-Dade and Broward. Medicaid accepted. Se habla español.
How Soon Can My Child Get a Sports Physical?
Call the office nearest you and ask — availability changes week to week. Miami (305) 758-0591, North Miami Beach (305) 652-6095, Plantation (954) 880-8399.
Being straight with you about how this works: a sports physical is a scheduled appointment, not a walk-in. The practice does hold same-day slots, but those are for children who are unwell — a fever, an ear infection, a rash. A physical is a full examination that needs a proper appointment slot, so it is booked ahead.
How far ahead depends entirely on the month. In April, May and June there is usually room within days. From late July through the first weeks of school, every pediatric office in South Florida is booked solid with physicals and back-to-school visits, and a week or two of notice is realistic. If your child's tryouts are in August, book in spring.
If you are up against a deadline this week, call anyway and say so. Cancellations happen, and the front desk can tell you in one minute what a website cannot.
Sports Physicals at a Glance
- Form completed
- FHSAA EL2 — Preparticipation Physical Evaluation. Signed by the physician during the visit.
- Who it's for
- Student athletes roughly ages 5–21: middle school, high school, travel teams, cheer, dance and youth leagues
- Valid for
- 365 days from the date of the examination
- Booking
- Scheduled appointment, by phone. How far ahead to book
- Cost
- Depends on your coverage — call (305) 758-0591 for current self-pay pricing. Read more
- Insurance
- Pediatricians near me that accept Medicaid plus most commercial plans — pediatricians near me that accept Aetna, Cigna and Blue Cross
- Physician
- Dr. Rozalyn A. Paschal-Thomas, MD — Dr. Rozalyn Paschal-Thomas's full biography
- Offices
- Miami 33147 · North Miami Beach 33169 · Plantation 33317
- Areas served
- Miami-Dade including Northside, Liberty City, Miami Gardens, Hialeah, Kendall and West Miami; Broward including Plantation, Lauderhill, Sunrise, Davie and Fort Lauderdale
- Not the same as
- A school physical (DH 3040) — different form, different purpose. Compare them
- By video?
- No. A physical needs an in-person examination. Pediatric telemedicine covers other visit types.
- Languages
- English, Spanish and Haitian Creole
EL2, EL3 or DH 3040 — Which Form Does Your Child Need?
The EL2 is the sports physical: the FHSAA Preparticipation Physical Evaluation, completed and signed by a physician. The EL3 is a consent and release form that parents sign — no doctor involved. The DH 3040 is something else entirely: the Florida school-entry health examination, required to enrol in school rather than to play a sport.
| Form | What it is | Who completes it | When you need it |
|---|---|---|---|
| FHSAA EL2 | Preparticipation Physical Evaluation — the sports physical itself | The physician, at this visit | Before tryouts or the season. Valid 365 days. |
| FHSAA EL3 | Consent and release to participate, plus concussion and heat-illness acknowledgements | Parent and student — no doctor needed | Submitted to the school alongside the EL2 |
| Florida DH 3040 | School-entry health examination | The physician, at a school physical visit | Enrolling in a Florida school |
| Florida DH 680 | Certification of Immunization — the vaccine record | The physician's office, from the immunization record | School enrolment, and often requested with sports paperwork |
The practical point: if your child is enrolling in school and playing a sport, you need more than one document — but usually only one visit. Bring the whole packet the school gave you and everything that can be completed at that appointment will be. Details of the enrolment side are on the school physicals near me page, and August fills fast, which is why there is an early scheduling guide for school physicals.
Individual schools and private leagues sometimes use their own forms in addition to the FHSAA set. Bring whatever you were given.
What Is Included in a Sports Physical?
The EL2 preparticipation evaluation is a structured examination, not a formality. Every one includes the following.
Cardiovascular screening
Heart rate, blood pressure and heart sounds, plus a targeted history of fainting, chest pain, palpitations during exercise and any family history of sudden cardiac death under 50.
Musculoskeletal exam
Joints, strength, flexibility and range of motion, with attention to previous sprains, fractures and anything that has not fully recovered.
Vision screening
Visual acuity in each eye, which the EL2 requires, and a note of whether glasses or contacts are worn during play.
Medical history review
Asthma, allergies, seizures, concussion history, current medications and any chronic condition that affects participation or needs a plan on file with the school.
Growth and vitals
Height, weight and BMI, plotted against your child's own record rather than a single reading — which is one advantage of using the pediatrician who has seen them for years.
Immunization check
The record is reviewed against the Florida schedule and Florida SHOTS, and anything due can usually be given at the same visit.
How Much Does a Sports Physical Cost?
It depends on your coverage, so call the office and ask — Miami (305) 758-0591, North Miami Beach (305) 652-6095, Plantation (954) 880-8399. Staff will check your plan and quote self-pay pricing before you come in, so there are no surprises at the desk. Florida Medicaid and most commercial plans are accepted, and no one is denied access to services due to inability to pay.
Two things are worth knowing before you compare prices.
First, it may be covered already. If your child is due an annual well-child visit, the sports physical can often be done as part of that appointment — and well-child visits are covered by Florida Medicaid and most commercial plans. One visit, both purposes, frequently no separate charge. Ask about this when you call; it is the most common way families end up paying nothing.
Second, a cheap physical and a thorough one are not the same product. Pharmacy and retail clinics advertise low flat rates, and for a healthy teenager with no history that may be perfectly adequate. What it does not include is the thing that actually matters on a cardiovascular screen: someone who knows your child.
| Retail or pharmacy clinic | Your child's pediatrician | |
|---|---|---|
| Medical history | Whatever you remember to write on the form | Already on file, including past injuries and conditions |
| Growth | One height and weight reading | Plotted against years of your child's own curve |
| Immunizations | Usually not reviewed | Checked against the Florida schedule; catch-up doses can be given |
| If something is found | Referred out; you start again elsewhere | Evaluated here, or referred with the history attached |
| Asthma or an old injury | Not known unless you mention it | Already managed, with a school plan if needed |
| Result goes into | A separate system | One chart, under the Patient-Centered Medical Home model |
The EL2 asks about fainting during exercise, chest pain, and sudden cardiac death in the family. Those questions are the entire point of a preparticipation exam, and they are answered better by a physician with the child's record in front of her than by a form filled in at a counter.
What to Bring to the Appointment
Bringing these makes the difference between leaving with a signed form and having to come back. Forms can be completed in advance from the new patient forms page.
- The FHSAA EL2 form, or the packet the school or league gave you — bring all of it, even the pages you think are not medical
- Insurance card, or a note that you are self-pay
- Your child's immunization record, if the practice does not already hold it
- A list of current medications and doses, including inhalers
- Glasses or contact lenses, if worn
- Details of any previous injury, surgery, concussion or hospital visit
- Any family history of heart problems or sudden death before age 50 — the EL2 asks specifically
- Shorts and a t-shirt, so joints and range of motion can actually be examined
Sports and Activities Covered
The EL2 covers every FHSAA-sanctioned sport. Youth leagues, travel teams, cheer and dance programmes generally accept the same form.
Where to Get a Sports Physical in Miami-Dade and Broward
Three offices, one medical record — a child registered at any one can be seen at whichever has an appointment.
Miami pediatric clinic near me
7900 NW 27th Ave, Suite 50
Miami, FL 33147 — Northside Shopping Center
Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM · Sat 9 AM–1 PM
Closest for Northside, Liberty City, Brownsville, Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, Hialeah, Allapattah, West Miami and Kendall. Also the pediatrician in Miami page.
North Miami Beach pediatric clinic near me
16800 NW 2nd Ave, Suite 308
North Miami Beach, FL 33169 — Jackson North Medical Plaza
Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM · Sat 9 AM–1 PM
Closest for North Miami, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Golden Glades, Ives Estates and Norland.
Pediatric clinic in Plantation FL
660 N. State Rd. 7, Suite 4
Plantation, FL 33317 — Broward County
Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM · Closed Saturday
Closest for Plantation, Lauderhill, Sunrise, Davie, Fort Lauderdale and Tamarac. Also the pediatrician in Plantation page.
Not sure which is closest? Compare all three at the pediatric clinic near you page, or start from the kids doctor near me in Miami overview.
Sports Physical Questions Parents Ask
For clinical questions, see the pediatric questions parents ask most.
Call the office for current self-pay pricing — Miami (305) 758-0591, North Miami Beach (305) 652-6095, Plantation (954) 880-8399. Staff will quote it before you come in. Two things worth asking about: if your child is also due an annual well-child visit, the sports physical can often be done as part of that appointment, and well-child visits are covered by Florida Medicaid and most commercial plans. No one is denied access to services due to inability to pay.
Call and ask, because it varies by month. A sports physical is a scheduled appointment, not a walk-in — the practice's same-day slots are reserved for children who are unwell. In spring and early summer there is usually room within days. From late July through the start of school, expect a week or two. If you are against a deadline, call anyway and say so; cancellations happen. See booking and timing.
The EL2 is the Florida High School Athletic Association Preparticipation Physical Evaluation — the sports physical form itself. A physician completes and signs it after examining your child. Bring the form to the appointment and it is signed before you leave. It is valid for 365 days from the date of the examination.
The EL2 is the medical examination, completed by a physician. The EL3 is the consent and release form, including concussion and heat-illness acknowledgements, signed by the parent and student — no doctor is involved. Schools normally want both. Parents often arrive thinking the EL3 needs a doctor's signature; it does not. See the form comparison.
No. A sports physical produces the FHSAA EL2 and clears a child to play. A school physical produces the Florida DH 3040 school-entry health examination and is required to enrol. Different forms, different purposes — but if your child needs both, they can usually be done in one visit. Bring the whole packet.
365 days from the date of the examination. Because that clock starts at the exam and not at the school year, having it done in spring covers the whole of the following season. Booking in April, May or June also avoids the August crush.
Cardiovascular screening including heart rate, blood pressure, heart sounds and a targeted history of fainting, chest pain and family cardiac history; a musculoskeletal examination of joints, strength and flexibility; vision screening; a full medical history review covering asthma, allergies, concussion and medications; height, weight and BMI; and an immunization check against the Florida schedule. See what's included.
For a healthy teenager with no history, a retail clinic physical may be perfectly adequate. What it cannot do is bring your child's record to the examination. A pediatrician who has followed your child has the growth curve, the injury history, the asthma record and the immunizations already in front of her — and the EL2's cardiovascular questions are answered better with that context than from a form filled in at a counter. If something is found, it is evaluated here rather than referred out to start again. See the comparison.
Yes. Florida Medicaid and most major commercial plans are accepted, plus cash, debit and credit card. Staff verify your specific plan before the visit. If your child is also due a well-child visit, that is covered by Medicaid and the sports physical can often be done at the same appointment. See pediatricians near me that accept Medicaid.
Every FHSAA-sanctioned sport at public and private schools — football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, track and field, swimming, tennis, golf, wrestling, cheerleading and dance team among them. Youth leagues, travel teams and recreational programmes generally require a current physical too, and usually accept the same EL2.
Yes. Pediatricians are fully qualified to perform preparticipation physical evaluations and sign the FHSAA EL2. Dr. Rozalyn A. Paschal-Thomas, MD completed her pediatric residency at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital and has practised here since 2009. Read Dr. Rozalyn Paschal-Thomas's full biography.
No. A preparticipation evaluation requires listening to the heart, taking blood pressure and examining joints and range of motion in person, so it is always an in-office visit. Pediatric telemedicine is available for other visit types — rashes, cold symptoms, medication follow-ups and behaviour check-ins.
The Miami pediatric clinic near me at 7900 NW 27th Ave, Suite 50 serves families from Kendall, West Miami, Allapattah, Hialeah and across Miami-Dade, and is open Saturday mornings 9 AM to 1 PM — useful for athletes who cannot miss a school day. Call (305) 758-0591.
Spring or early summer. The EL2 is valid 365 days from the examination date, so an April or May appointment covers the entire following season, and it avoids competing with every other family in South Florida in August. See the early scheduling guide for school physicals, which applies to sports paperwork too.
Book Your Child's Sports Physical
FHSAA EL2 completed and signed at the visit. Call the office nearest you for availability and pricing. Medicaid accepted, se habla español.