Thursday, October 1, 2026
Physicians from Glen Cove Hospital made a collective house call to Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club, in Locust Valley, this month, not to treat a patient, but to discuss the importance of sports physicals and heart health in young athletes, part of a new community wellness series focused on children and teens.
Dr. Brittany Grella, associate program director of the hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program, and Dr. Sophie Golden, a third-year resident in family medicine, led the presentation, which was sponsored by the hospital and drew parents, community members and school officials.
The doctors focused on pre-participation sports evaluations — sports physicals — and why they are critical before children begin athletic activities.
“So what is a sports physical?” Grella asked. “A sports physical is done for children. It’s a checkup prior to playing sports. Typically it’s done six weeks before they engage in any activity.”
The purpose, she explained, is to identify potential underlying conditions that could put a child at risk during exercise.
The physicians outlined the two main components of a sports physical: a detailed medical history and a thorough exam. The history includes questions about fainting, chest pain, irregular heartbeats and any family history of heart disease. The exam includes height, weight, blood pressure, vision screening and a head-to-toe assessment, including heart and lung function.
Grella referenced the nationally televised cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in a “Monday Night Football” game three years ago as a reminder that, although uncommon, cardiac arrest is always a risk.
“Although these incidences are rare, they do occur,” she said. “So it’s really important that we’re encouraging our children to get sports physicals.”
Golden emphasized that most healthy, low-risk children do not need advanced cardiac testing, such as an electro- or echocardiogram, unless their history or physical exam raises concerns. Citing guidance from the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Choosing Wisely campaign, she said that unnecessary testing can cause worry without improving outcomes.
“The key takeaway from the presentation was that sports physicals keep you safe and healthy for sports,” Golden said. “For most healthy kids, we don’t recommend extra tests like echocardiograms or EKGs, because the doctor’s questions and listening work best.”
The doctors also discussed inherited conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Marfan syndrome, as well as arrhythmias that can be passed down within families. They urged parents to be forthcoming about family history, including unexplained deaths before age 50.
“We could hypothesize till we’re blue in the face,” Golden said in response to a question about why cardiac events seem to have become more common. She noted the role of social media and increased media coverage in raising awareness. “But I do think a lot of it is due to the media presence. Everybody’s getting media on their phone, delivered immediately.”
The discussion expanded to include childhood obesity, anxiety, stimulant medications and energy drinks. Golden cautioned that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The presentation had added local significance after a November incident in Locust Valley. Danielle Turner, director of health, physical education and athletics for the Locust Valley Central School District, spoke about a senior who collapsed on the first day of winter sports, suffering sudden cardiac arrest.
“A senior, visibly very healthy, physically cleared, 17-year-old collapsed in the gym in front of his team,” Turner said. Coaches trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator responded immediately, and the student was transported to and treated at Glen Cove Hospital.
“He’s back in school,” Turner said. “He’s functioning. He’s not really exercising too strenuously just yet, but he’s functioning.”
