Last week, a Lincoln County eighth grader died from injuries he sustained during a football game. Some experts say more can be done to keep the youngest players safe.

“Youth football's not getting as much attention as of course high school and college football and they probably need more, more emergency care than they are getting at the present time,” said Dr. Frederick O. Mueller, director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research.

Mueller collects and analyzes data on sport injuries across the country. He said younger athletes aren't hurt as often as their older counterparts, but are at risk.