Community Partnerships Bring Sports Physicals Directly to Local Students
This week, students at Tech and Apollo High Schools had an opportunity to complete an important step before the start of their sports seasons: getting their required sports physicals.
But this week was about more than physical exams. It was an example of what can happen when local organizations invest in young people and work together to remove barriers for students and families.
Thanks to the generosity of the St. Cloud Morning Optimist Club and the Bernick Family Foundation, Aslan Health was able to provide on-site sports physicals at Tech and Apollo High Schools in St. Cloud Area School District 742.
Removing a Barrier for Student Athletes
For many families, a sports physical can become one more expense and one more appointment to fit into an already busy schedule. When that physical is required before a student can participate, those barriers can sometimes keep a young person on the sidelines.
The St. Cloud Morning Optimist Club donated funds to cover the cost of sports physicals for local students. Their support meant students could receive the exam they needed without worrying about how their family would pay for it.
During our visits to Tech and Apollo this week, approximately 60 students received sports physicals at their schools. In addition, roughly 20 more students received sports physicals at the Aslan Health clinic, bringing the total to around 80 student athletes.
Those numbers represent more than completed forms. Each physical helped another student take the next step toward participating in a sport, joining a team, and being part of their school community.
We are grateful to the St. Cloud Morning Optimist Club for choosing to invest in local youth in such a practical way.
The Mobile Youth Sports Physical/Health Cart in Action
This week’s school visits were also an opportunity to put Aslan Health’s Mobile Youth Sports Physical/Health Cart into action.
The Bernick Family Foundation provided a $10,000 grant to support this project, helping Aslan Health obtain the portable equipment needed to bring healthcare services directly to young people in the community.
That investment was at work this week at Tech and Apollo High Schools. Instead of requiring every student to find transportation and make a separate trip to the clinic, our clinical team could bring the equipment needed for sports physicals directly to the schools.
And the impact of the grant will continue well beyond this week’s physicals. The Mobile Youth Sports Physical/Health Cart gives Aslan Health the ability to bring basic health services into schools and other community settings, helping reduce transportation, scheduling, and access barriers for local families.
We are grateful to the Bernick Family Foundation for investing not simply in equipment, but in a way of bringing healthcare closer to the young people who need it.
More Than a Sports Physical
Sports physicals help identify health concerns that could affect a student’s ability to participate safely in athletics. They also create an opportunity to talk with young people about their health, answer questions, and encourage healthy habits.
At the same time, participating in school sports can offer benefits that extend far beyond physical fitness. Athletics can provide students with friendships, mentorship, discipline, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
Sometimes helping a student participate starts with something as simple as making sure they can get the required physical.
For families facing other costs related to school activities, District 742 students may also be eligible for help through LEAF 742’s Activities Participation Fund. The fund helps students who might otherwise be unable to participate because of financial hardship by assisting with costs such as physicals, essential equipment, transportation, and other participation expenses.
Thank You for Investing in Local Students
None of this week’s work happened because of one organization.
The St. Cloud Morning Optimist Club provided the funding that helped make sports physicals accessible to students. The Bernick Family Foundation provided the grant that helped equip Aslan Health to take those physicals into the schools. And St. Cloud Area School District 742, Tech High School, and Apollo High School welcomed us and helped connect students with the opportunity.
Aslan Health was fortunate to play a part in bringing those pieces together.
When community organizations, schools, and healthcare providers combine their resources, a relatively small investment can remove a very real barrier for a young person.
To the St. Cloud Morning Optimist Club and the Bernick Family Foundation: thank you for investing in our community’s young people and helping local students get off the sidelines and into the activities they love.