LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Dr. Nigel Sparks, with Geisinger, has been in the field of orthopedic sports medicine for 22 years. He's seeing a rise in injuries among young athletes, especially those who play contact sports, including football.
"We do have a little bit of an epidemic of sports injuries in our younger population, but mainly that's because most kids are playing the same sport year-round," said Dr. Nigel Sparks.
Dr. Sparks says he treats many athletes under the age of 15 who play contact sports. They suffer broken bones, growth plate injuries, and damage to ligaments from overuse. These injuries can have long-term effects on young athletes.
But the recent death of a high school football player from Lycoming County and a serious spleen injury suffered by a youth football player in Luzerne County are raising concerns over how to keep young players safe.
"The kids love to do it, and the parents want to see the kids happy, but on the same note, we have to take a step back and say okay, especially in contact sports, we have to protect the kids and be their advocate.," said Dr. Sparks.
Dr. Sparks says to make sure young athletes know when and how to speak up when they're hurt. He encourages breaks to let the body rest, along with reminding parents and coaches that they play a role in the culture of the game.
"The goal is not for them to play through the problem but for them to bring the problem to the parent or coach to say this is bothering me. Can we look at this right now as opposed to waiting? Football has its own culture where you tough it out if you have an injury, so a lot of injuries go unnoticed,"
Dr. Sparks also encourages youth sports leagues to have EMTs and an ambulance on site any time there's a game.
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