Pre-season means physical season.

When I was participating in sports in school, I dreaded getting my sports physical every year. It was a pain. No, it wasn't painful – just an annoyance. I hated having to schedule the appointment, sit in an office, get poked and prodded, weighed and measured, all so I could run a few races for my school that year.

But admittedly it's a super-important thing to do. If your tests don't come back looking quite right, you could have a medical condition that could be exacerbated during whatever sport you choose to participate in. Case in point, I failed the eye test one year. I had no idea I wasn't seeing up to par. Come cross-country season, I could have been running headfirst into trees and died. (Not likely, but you get the point.) On a less dramatic and more realistic note, if you have a pre-existing medical condition that may get in the way of the sport you want to play, your doctor can work with you to find a medicine or treatment plan that can make your dreams possible. Between you, your doctor, and your coach, you'll be able to figure something out that will get you in play in no time.

Anyway, if you're in high school, your parents might not want to have to deal with the whole co-pay stuff when it comes to doctor appointments. Or maybe your family doesn't have health insurance or the money to pay your co-pay. Or maybe you're in college and forgot to make that vital appointment before your season starts, which means your coach is going to chew you out and bench you until you can finally get in with your doctor two months from now. Or maybe you're broke (like most of us in college are).

Good news! If you're a resident of Anne Arundel County, Mercy Medical Center and ATI Physical Therapy are hosting a FREE sports physical event at Mercy Personal Physicians Glen Burnie.

The event is running on Saturday, August 3, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Middle school and high school athletes of Anne Arundel County are eligible for a 30-minute examination. And it sounds pretty comprehensive! The athlete will be seen by an athletic trainer or physical therapist first, followed by an orthopedic surgeon. After that, a primary care physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant will follow up to complete the rest of the exam.

Paperwork will be provided if the athlete is part of the public school system — the standard Maryland Public Secondary Schools form will be handed out at check-in, which means you most likely won't even have to remember to bring your own paperwork. However, if your sport or your school requires additional forms to be filled out, definitely bring those with you.

Event coordinators recommend that you show up sometime after 8 a.m. — opening time is usually their busiest. So you don't even have to be on time in order to get this done! This event is literally created for all of us procrastinators out there! So sleep in – get a good night sleep before your physical. Yes, please! And thank you!

Questions prior to your exam will be fielded by the ATI clinic in Pasadena, but remember: This event is going on at Mercy Personal Physicians at Glen Burnie. 

For more information on sports physicals, their importance, and what happens during a routine one, click here.

The Run-Around is a weekly feature, focusing on fitness in and around Annapolis, MD.