In preparation for the United States Football League (USFL) kickoff game on April 16, the UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine team, along with other UAB providers and volunteers, performed preseason physicals for the nearly 400 players who arrived in Birmingham in March.
UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine will be the medical provider for the USFL during its inaugural 2022 season.The USFL is a professional football league that includes eight teams, divided into Northern and Southern divisions. All teams will play their regular season games in Birmingham, Alabama.
UAB providers and volunteers performed various exams for the players, including eye, EKG and concussion baseline exams, along with full physicals. UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine providers will also provide sideline medical coverage during all regular season games this year.
“It is an exciting time to be a sports medicine physician in Birmingham,” said Irfan Asif, M.D., chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, sports medicine physician and director of UAB Medicine’s Primary Care Service Line. “Our talented group of providers will be able to serve the USFL with comprehensive medical care, ensuring they are at their best on and off the field.”
Asif will serve as medical director for the league and will lead the USFL Medical Advisory Committee, made up of seven members from a variety of health-related disciplines. Two sports medicine providers from the Department of Family and Community Medicine will also serve as lead team physicians. Ian McKeag, M.D., M.S., director of the UAB-Cahaba Sports and Exercise Medicine Fellowship program, will be the head team physician for the Michigan Panthers, and Calvin Spellmon, M.D., will be the head team physician for the Pittsburgh Maulers. All members of the UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine team will support the team through sideline and outside medical care.
UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine, a partnership between the Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery [need PMR?], includes a team of experienced sports medicine physicians and orthopaedic surgeons that are able to provide top-level care that addresses every facet of personal wellness for the athletes. Medical team members also include personal trainers, dietitians, rehabilitation specialists and more.
“We are pleased to support the USFL, all of its teams, and all of its players,” said Amit Momaya, M.D., associate professor and section chief of Sports Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “This is a gifted league of players who will get the best possible medical care from our team.”
To learn more about UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine, visit their website.