Before participating in a sport, individuals should first:

Having a physical fitness assessment before participating in a sport is crucial for ensuring that individuals are physically prepared and can safely engage in physical activities. This assessment helps identify any strengths or weaknesses in physical fitness, as well as any pre-existing health issues that could pose a risk during sports participation. Understanding one's fitness level can also inform appropriate training plans and enable the individual to participate safely and effectively while reducing the risk of injury.

Engaging in stretching exercises, while important as part of a warm-up routine, does not assess an individual's readiness for sports participation. Similarly, an X-ray is generally not relevant unless there is a known injury or concern about bone health, and completing an online sports safety course, while beneficial for understanding safety guidelines, does not provide the necessary physical evaluation that a fitness assessment does.