Kealakehe High School and the Nakuwauna Foundation will be offering a free Sports Physical Clinic tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kealakehe High Gymnasium. The sports physicals are free to all current and incoming high school students and will be valid for one year.
Cassi Vigil-Alip, who is employed at Kealakehe High School as the Parent Community Network Coordinator (PCNC) and organizing the clinic, says there is a high need during the summer for students to obtain their required sports physicals before the start of school year, but are often met with a delay due to a high demand and scheduling conflicts.
“Often times what will happen is it’s summer time and they are not thinking about things they need for school,” Vigil-Alip said. “The sport comes up that the kid wants to play and then they realize they need their sports physical to do try outs or to even be on the field. By that time, tryouts are already starting, but when they call their primary care physician, they are two to four weeks out. Then (the team) will lose some kids because they won’t be able to get their sport physicals in time to do tryouts.”
Vigil-Alip added that by holding a free clinic early in the summer will help high school student-athletes “get ahead of the game” before the start of the school year. The free sports clinic also highlights community medical professionals coming together to make it happen.
Currently, there are two naturopathic doctors, Kristina Roberts of Kona Integrative Health and Corrine De Soto, who specializes in naturopathic pediatrics and family medicine, along with two osteopathic medicine doctors, Laura Ankrum of West Hawaii Community Health Center and Wesam Agha of Kona Community Hospital, on board to conduct the sport physicals. In addition, several physician assistants from the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program in Kona will offer their services to assist with the intake process.
“The DOE is strict with who they will allow to conduct the sports physicals,” she said. “They can be a naturopathic doctor, an osteopathic doctor, medical doctor, physician’s assistant or advanced practice registered nurses. It’s really about the community coming together. We do want to be clear that this sports physical does not take the place of the recommended annual (wellness exam) physical, but this covers the sports component to get the child on the field or court.”
Vigil-Alip said they already have 100 student-athletes who plan to attend and currently have availability for more participants. Student-athletes will need to have a parent or guardian present and if possible, have their sports physical forms signed and completed in advance. If not, blank forms will be available onsite. Each physical is anticipated to take around 20 minutes or less.
The free sports clinic is a partnership with Kealakehe High School and the Nakuwauna Foundation – a local non-profit with a mission on their website that states, “Empowering the generations [in our community] of today to honor those of the past and create positive change for those of the future through fitness and nutrition education.”
“We are partnering with them because first, they are just getting started, and second, they are so conscientious with the youth, culture, nutrition and health, that we thought it would be a really good partnership,” Vigil-Alip said. “They are paving the way for the whole family to be healthy instead of just the parent. We hope to make this a success so that we can continue to do this annually because there is that need in the community and we want to fill that.”
For more information on the free Sports Physical Clinic happening on Saturday, June 19th from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Kealakehe High Gymnasium contact Cassi Vigil-Alip at 808-640-2147. Visit khswaveriders.org to access and download blank sports physical forms.