Pre-Participation Requirements for Student Athletes

Congratulations on becoming a part of one of the finest collegiate athletic programs in the country!

Please follow the checklist to ensure completion of all pre-participation medical requirements:

All forms must be sent before your pre-participation physical to Shelly Sharda, Sports Medicine Program, University Health Services, 2222 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-4300. The fax number is 510-643-9790.

Pre-Participation Information for Student Athletes and Parents

In order to facilitate medical care for student athletes, we need certain information in advance. Please read the information about our insurance program carefully (Questions and Answers about Health Insurance in the checklist above.) Although illness and injury are not things most people like to think about, it is vitally important that you know what to do if you are injured or need medical care. Complete understanding of your insurance coverage is essential and allows for timely referral of treatment as well as claims processing.

You will see that there are two levels of health insurance, the athletic insurance program and the major medical insurance required for all registered Cal students.

The athletic insurance program provides excellent coverage if you have an athletic injury that requires outside services, such as surgery or diagnostic testing. This program is designed to comply with NCAA and PAC-10 rules and provides the maximum benefits allowed by the NCAA. Please be aware that we cannot cover injuries that are not a direct result of participation in our programs, nor can we cover injuries that you incurred before you began participation in our programs.

Again, the question and answer link should help to explain what is and what is not covered by this policy, and how the major medical health insurance requirement fits into the student's total health care coverage.

In explanation of some of the requirements on the checklist:

1. The purpose of the pre-participation physical exam (PPE) is to evaluate the health condition of all new student-athletes, in order to authorize your participation to practice and compete. Contact our administrative assistant, Shelly Sharda, at 510-643-4801 or email ssharda@berkeley.edu, if you have any questions. Please note that per NCAA Regulations, you will not be permitted to participate until you have completed your PPE. If you are a minor at the time of the scheduled PPE, your parent or guardian must sign and return the Authorization for Third-Party Consent to Treatment of Minor Lacking Capacity to Consent form. Returning athletes should check in with their athletic trainer.

2. We ask that you complete and return the Health History form and any medical records before your pre-participation physical. Also, if you have any medical condition (e.g. asthma, heart murmur), have been hospitalized overnight or longer, or have undergone a musculoskeletal surgery (e.g. knee arthroscopy, shoulder reconstruction), or any other major surgery, we ask that you send copies of the pertinent medical records to us at University Health Services c/o the Sports Medicine Program, 2222 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-4300, fax # 510-643-9790.

3. The Hepatitis B vaccination series is required by law as a condition of enrollment. All of the information and forms for compliance are available at the web link in the checklist. We strongly recommend that you update your immunizations before arriving on campus. Please contact your personal physician if you have questions concerning these or any other immunizations.

Finally, let us assure you that our Sports Medicine staff continually strives to provide all of our student athletes with the highest quality of medical care. Thank you once again for all your support.


Go Bears!

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