Young arms – overuse and specialization

There has been quite a debate raging in the game of baseball as to what is causing all the arm injuries. Before going any farther, look at the following photo and consider this scenario.  You are 16 years old and at a showcase.  Every coach you’ve ever had has tried to convince you that location is more important than velocity.  You look down the mound and see about 15 radar guns pointed in your direction.  What are you going to do?

Answer:  You are going to throw as hard as you possibly can.

Tommy John surgeries are apparently up this year among professional players.  More alarming than that is the fact that doctors have been seeing many more cases of these “professional” arm injuries among young kids.  According to many doctors, there are two big reasons:  specialization (rear-round baseball) and overuse (training techniques, tournament/showcase baseball, and the like).  I couldn’t agree more.

Here is a recent article linked on ESPN/MLB that has garnered a lot of attention and comments.    I think it’s a must read for parents and coaches.

Click HERE to read it.

 

Tomorrow’s post: Tell them they need good vision