July 29, 2020

New Interim Sports Guidance Released from AAP to Aid in Advising on Return to Sports

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released interim Sports Guidance to provide information on a return to sports. Approximately 35 to 45 million youth 6 to 18 years of age participate in some form of athletics. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many aspects of the lives of children and families, including youth sport activity. As children present for health supervision visits and preparticipation physical evaluations, parents and athletes likely will ask questions about how best to ensure safety when considering a return to sports participation. This guidance is intended for pediatricians to inform families on how to mitigate risk and prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, to others both within sports and within families and the community. Pediatricians should also refer to their state regulations and guidance associated with return to sports as states are allowing practice and competition to resume at different stages. A link to the full document can be found here.  Patient education articles were also developed for Healthy Children and can be found at the following links:

Also included below are complimentary patient education fact sheets that were developed collaboratively with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM).


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