The Colorado Rockies baseball season opens April 4, and fans are ready to stream out to the park to enjoy the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd. Pitching has become a science for the pro and college players, and teams have physicians who monitor their pitcher’s arms daily, sometimes hourly! Little League and sand lot teams don’t have that luxury, and it may be up to you to prevent pitching injuries in your child.
The American Sports Medicine Institute says most pitching injuries that occur in the youth correlate to overuse. Contributing factors include, but are not limited to: pitching back-to-back days; pitching multiple games in a day or pitching for multiple teams in the same season; pitching more than two thirds of the year; and pitching for a team that does not have pitch counts or limits.
In order to prevent injuries related to overuse, USA Baseball and Little League Baseball have put forth pitching rules and guidelines. In a study of nearly 100 baseball coaches, however, only one quarter of the coaches actually adhered to these rules and regulations. In addition, nearly 20% of those coaches also admitted to playing pitchers with minor injuries.
So how do you prevent an injury in your son or daughter? Stay aware! Ensure your son or daughter is adhering to the standards put forth both USA Baseball and Little League Baseball, as his or her coach may not. Ensure that they do not play for multiple teams in the same season or pitch back-to-back days or games. Allow your child time to rest during off months and cross-train during on months. Once an injury occurs, your child may be out of the season, and if the injury does not properly heal, your child may be out of a long pitching career.
Be sure to call Castle Pines Physical Therapy at 303-805-5156 if your child injures their shoulder while playing. We want to help you keep your child safe and healthy!
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