Young Athletes and Face Injuries: How COVID-19 Changed the Game

COVID-19 didn't just change how we lived; it also changed how young athletes played sports. A recent study looked at face and head injuries in kids aged 12 to 17 across eight sports. The data spanned from 2014 to 2023, giving a clear picture of how the pandemic affected injury rates. The study found that injuries dropped sharply in 2020 when sports were put on hold. But when sports came back, the injury rates didn't just bounce back to normal. Each sport had its own unique pattern. Basketball, soccer, wrestling, softball, baseball, and football saw big changes right after the pandemic. Football had the most significant change, with a P-value of less than 0. 001, showing a strong statistical impact. The study used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to track these injuries. It categorized injuries into eight sports: football, baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, wrestling, golf, and volleyball. The study's goal was to see how the pandemic changed injury trends in each sport. The findings suggest that the pandemic had a big impact on injury rates across all eight sports. The study highlights the need for more research. It points to factors like changes in equipment, safety rules, and how many kids played sports as possible reasons for the changes in injury patterns. This study is a wake-up call. It shows that big events like a pandemic can change how sports injuries happen. It also shows that we need to keep an eye on these trends to keep young athletes safe.