Editorial commentary: Sideline preparation for the team physician

Team physicians deal with athletes at all levels. The amount of resources available to a specific team and healthcare provider will vary considerably based on the sophistication of competition occurring at a specific event. This variance creates a vast spectrum of medical coverage and needed resources and can often lead to confusion. As a result, the AOSSM, AMSSM, AAFP, AAOS, ACSM, and AOASM have provided a consensus statement in conjunction with NATA recommendations resulting from a national study completed in the spring of 2000.