Required Pre-Participation Medical Paperwork for IUP Student-Athletes

All New to IUP student-athletes (Incoming Freshmen/Transfers)
Your coach and/or certified athletic trainer will contact you via email with instructions on how to complete the paperwork. This process typically begins late May through early June. If you have not heard from anyone by July 1, please reach out to your coach and athletic trainer listed below to receive the instruction packet. The paperwork forms are completed through an online portal. Please do not print and mail any PDF forms you may find on Google.

Click HERE for a checklist of all paperwork that needs to be completed prior to your arrival on campus.

Primary Insurance Requirement
All IUP Student-athletes are required to have and maintain primary insurance coverage. Loss of coverage at any time during the academic year will preclude the student-athlete from participation. We require that all student-athletes seek care within their In-Network coverage providers for athletic-related injuries to benefit from our department accident policy for out-of-pocket costs.

Some things to consider with American insurance policies:

If you have state or federally funded insurance plans like Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare. Those plans may have a location restriction for your services. Some active-duty Tricare plans require you to seek care on base, and state-funded plans such as Medicaid are limited to in-state coverage only. If this is the case, please contact your certified athletic trainer ASAP to discuss coverage options while you may be out of state or outside your primary county in Pennsylvania.
Many Blue Cross / Blue Shield plans have national coverage, but they may require you contact their member services to notify them that a dependent will be out of your local network attending college. We recommend you contact your insurance company to find In-Network coverage in the Western PA region.

All international student-athletes are required to purchase our department group insurance policy. Contact Head Athletic Trainer, Rob Baron, to get started.

Sickle Cell Trait Testing
A new aspect of NCAA policy includes Sickle Cell Trait Testing for all student-athletes. Click HERE to read more about why we test for this and about the disease. The test that is required must be a “Solubility Test”, which is a blood test. You will upload the test results to our online portal, and the document must clearly show your legal name, the test results, and specify that a solubility test was performed. We have found that Quest Health Diagnostics is a good option if you have a location near you and are unsure where to have the test performed. If you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out to your athletic trainer listed below.

If you are a current NCAA student-athlete transferring in from another institution, you should not need a new sickle cell test. Submit the lab report you have from your previous institution, and we will verify that it meets the needs of the updated policy.

Team Try-Outs
At times, some teams may host open try-outs. Keep an eye on the social media pages for information about when and where they occur. If you are interested in attending an open try-out, first contact the coach hosting the event; they will refer you to the athletic trainer for information on the required paperwork. You will complete hard-copy forms, provide a physical exam dated within 6 months of the try-out, submit sickle cell test results, and complete a waiver.

Pre-Participation Physical Exam
The physical form will be emailed to you by your athletic trainer and will be available to download within the online portal once you complete the Medical History. The most up-to-date copy of the form is dated 2026; please do not use older forms circulating online, as they may not include all required information.

This physical exam must be completed by a licensed health care provider such as a medical doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. It is required that they review the IUP Medical History form, which must be printed from the portal.

Contact your team’s athletic trainer with any questions:

Robert Baron, MS, ATC
Men's Basketball, Field Hockey, M/W Cross Country
rbaron@iup.edu
Jamie D'Andrea, MS, ATC, CSCS
Women's Basketball, Softball, M/W Swimming
jdandrea@iup.edu
Mark Wolfe, MS, ATC, FMS
Football, M/W Track & Field
mwolfe@iup.edu
Shannon Hestor, MS, ATC
Women's Volleyball, Women's Lacrosse, Men's Golf
shestor@iup.edu
Carrie D'Andrea, MS, ATC
Women's Soccer, Baseball, Women's Tennis
cdandrea@iup.edu