Who needs to submit physical forms?

Every student athlete that registers for a sport team or clinic needs to submit either an Athletic Preparticipation Physical Form AND/OR a Health History Update for each sports season; fall, winter and spring. EACH time you register you must submit some form of a physical. 

Where can I get the forms that are required?
Forms can be found and downloaded from our website under the FORMS tab.

What form do I need to submit?
If this is the first time you are submitting forms OR if you submitted a form in the past but the date of the exam will be more than 365 days old on the first day of practice (now considered expired) then you need to submit an Athletic Pre-Participation Physical Form. If the date of the exam listed on that Athletic Pre-participation Physical Form is more than 90 days from the first practice then you also need to include a Health History Update Form.

If we have an Athletic Pre-Participation Physical Form on file and the date of the exam will be less than 365 days on the first day of practice then you only need to submit the Health History Update Form.

Where should forms be submitted?

Forms should be uploaded through the parent portal on Genesis.

How soon can forms be submitted?
By law, forms cannot be signed or submitted by a parent more than 90 days prior to the first practice/tryout date.

I already submitted a complete physical form for my child in a previous season.  Do I need to submit another one now?

YES!  Some type of physical form MUST be submitted for each new sport season that your child participates in.  If the full physical form that was completed was based on an exam that was done within 365 days of the first practice/tryout date for the new season then you only need to submit a Health History Update Form, completed by a parent. If the exam date is now more than 365 days old, you need to submit a new complete physical form based on a more recent exam. 

My physician does not perform vision exams and left that section blank on the physical form.  Is this necessary?

Yes!  Vision exam results (not vision prescriptions) are mandated on the state forms.  You must have your physician, an ophthalmologist, optician or a physician at an urgent care facility document the vision exam results.   They can write results on their own official stationary if that is easier and you can attach it to the form.  They must document vision findings in each eye (eg. 20/20, 20/30) and if there is corrected vision , glasses or contacts.  If the vision results are 20/50 or worse that is considered a Failed Vision Exam and you must have your child seen by an eye doctor or optician and have the vision corrected.  If you nee dto you may use the Vision Exan Results Form we provided and this can be uploaded separately on Genesis.

When are the physical forms actually due?  Where do I submit them?

Forms are due approximately 3 weeks before the first practice/tryout.  Each form needs to be reviewed by a nurse and then reviewed by the school physician and cleared.  Then it comes back to the WAMSAO Nurse so the child's name can be placed on the "approved' list for the sport.  It is essential to have the time to get every child cleared so we need to have forms submitted weeks in advance. Due dates are posted on each sport page.  Late submissions will not be accepted and you will forefeit your spot and fee if you do not submit the physical form.  

How do I know that my child received clearance for the sport season?
On each student record on Genesis, there will be an indication of athletic clearance.
A RED X means NOT Cleared. A GREEN check indicates that they are cleared.  

Is there any advice on completing the Physical Form so it does not get rejected and sent back to me?

Make sure to answer EVERY question.  If you don't know an answer, write " N/A" or "I don't know".
Make sure that the examining physician signs the form with an original signature.  Stamped signatures will not be accepted.
Document allergies and medications on page 1.
Make sure to include the DATE OF EXAM.
Make sure to SIGN the form where it asks for signatures. 
Make sure the exam date is within 365 days of the first practice/tryout date.
Make sure the physician's office stamps the form with their office stamp in the appropriate place.
Make sure the vision exam results are recorded.
A NJ licensed physician must complete the forms.  So, if you move here to NJ, you cannot use an exam/physician from out of state to complete them.

My child is going to Ridge HS next year and plays a fall sport.  What happens to his/her physical form?

 Physical forms are on file with the school nurses and they get sent to Ridge HS as soon as graduation is completed. Ridge HS will have access to the athletic physicals and so if it is still current, and less than 365 days old in August when sports start, than you only need to submit a Health History Update to Ridge HS to meet their requirements for physical forms. Information regarding the other submission requirements can be found on the Athletic Page for Ridge HS at http://ridgehigh.bernardsboe.com/sports/athletic_registration

Will other forms used to document a physical be accepted?

Can I fax or email my form to school?
No.  Only original forms with original signatures are acceptable and need to be scanned and uploaded.

How will I know that my submitted form was received?
After you submit a form, it will be reviewed by a nurse.  
On each student record on Genesis, there will be an indication of athletic clearance.
A RED X means NOT Cleared. A GREEN check indicates that they are cleared.  

Can a physician from outside of New Jersey complete the physical form?
Only a U.S.physician who has completed and been certified in the mandated NJ State Cardiac Module can complete the form.  They need to attest to their completion and sign off on the form stating that they have completed it. Therefore, it is essentially impossible for a physician outside of NJ to complete the forms.
 

How are tryouts run and when will they be held?

Tryouts are held for all competitive sports teams except cross country and track & field.
Tryouts are always done on a school day, never before school starts in September or over a spring break or on a day when school is not in session.
Fall sports tryouts are during the first week of school.  Basketball tryouts are typically the week of the NJ Teachers Convention in November.  Boys Volleyball tryouts are typically in December.  Spring sport tryouts are in early March.

Tryout dates specific to a sport are posted on the individual sports page and will be included in the email when you register for the tryout. Generally speaking, they are also listed on the Practice Schedule as the first two days of practice for that sport on our calendar. (Baseball, basketball, and boys lacrosse tryouts are usually the first three days)

Tryouts are done using assigned numbers.  No name or grade will be given to evaluators. Participants are scored by the coach and other evaluators based on a pre-designed rubric. The coach then decides how many athletes will be rostered on the team based on the talent displayed at the tryouts. No consideration is given to 8th graders or former team members.

All participants will be notified via email of tryout results approximately 2 school days after the conclusion of the tryout sessions.

Why are their fees to play a sport at WAMS and where does the money go?

WAMSAO is a non-profit and pay to participate organization.  Our teams are not funded by the Bernards Board of Education and so we need to charge a fee to cover the expenses each team incurs.  Some of the costs associated with our programs include: officials fees, coach salaries, uniforms, balls, league dues, and other supplied equipment. 
Paying a fee does not entitle anyone to a certain amount of playing time. It entitles you to be on the team.  Playing time is determined by the Coach.

Why are the tryout fees for Spring Team Tryouts higher than Fall or Winter?

WAMSAO rents space for spring tryouts so that we can hold the tryouts in early March.  Typically, fields in town are not accessible and so we need to rent indoor space for tryouts.  The extra tryout fee is used to cover our costs associated with facility rentals.

Can I register my child for a clinic and team so if they don't make the team they can still participate in the clinic?
Yes,but you risk losing the clinic fee.  If you want to assure that your child is participating in something, you can register for a clinic and also for a tryout.  If they don't make the team they will then have the clinic to participate in.  If they make the team a refund can only be given if there is another student on a waiting list that can take your child's spot.  So there are no guarantees that you will get a refund.

Who provides athletic equipment for my child ? Where can they store their gear during the school day?

Each athlete is responsible to bring/provide their own equipment for the sport they are playing.  WAMSAO will provide uniforms, on loan, for the season.  During the school day, gear can be stored in the student's own personal locker or in the WAMSAO closet outside the cafeteria.  Belongings should NOT be left overnight and WAMSAO is not responsible for any lost or stolen gear. 

Does WAMSAO provide transportation for athletes?

Caregivers must coordinate transportation to and from practices (when they are not at WAMS after classes) and to and from games.