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It's no surprise that most kids who play sports are not going to become major league stars. But kids who start out as baseball pitchers may be even less likely to make sports a career or even a long-term pursuit. That’s because a lot of kids who start out pitching get injured along the way, derailing a future of enjoying the sport and causing painful problems for years to come. The main cause of these injuries? Too much pitching too soon, according to Geoffrey Collins, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Center for Orthopaedics.
Recent studies indicate that many young pitchers are already damaging their arms. Innings limits, the longtime standard at the youth league level, may not go far enough to protect today's players from arm overuse injuries. Once played as a springtime sport, baseball is now played year-round by many young athletes, increasing the demands on young pitchers and putting them at risk for injury.
"What a coach or parent has to ask themselves when they have a kid who's a good baseball pitcher is, 'Do I want him to be the best pitcher he can be this year, or do I want him to be the best pitcher he can be for the span of however long he plays?'," says Dr. Collins. "If you're the coach or parent of a talented pitcher, it may be tempting to put him on the mound as much as possible. However, allowing a young pitcher to throw too many pitches could lead to elbow and shoulder damage that could require anything from a few weeks' rest to major surgery, potentially take him off the mound permanently."
Dr. Collins explains that there are several factors that contribute to pitching injuries, including immature skeletal structure, overuse, improper pitching mechanics and poor practice or conditioning habits. "A pitcher doesn’t have to have any sort of accident, fall or make a mistake to suffer a serious injury. In fact, some studies have shown that more and more pitching injuries are caused simply by overuse. That’s why it’s crucial that kids learn proper mechanics as soon as they start to pitch, no matter what they’re throwing. Good mechanics spread the stress of a pitch more evenly over the entire body. Bad mechanics will put too much stress on the joints. This can cause problems several years down the line."
The greatest danger to young pitchers centers on their growth plates. These are areas of the bone, located near the joint, where bone growth takes place. Growth plates aren't as strong as the bone itself or the surrounding ligaments and tendons. That makes the growth plates susceptible to damage from the stress placed on a pitcher's throwing arm. Pain in a young pitcher's arm can indicate growth plate damage. The arm needs to be rested until the pitcher can throw again without suffering pain. That may take as long as six to eight weeks. Collins stresses that ignoring the pain can lead to more growth plate damage, in which a small piece of bone breaks off at the point where the tendons attach. "This kind of injury may require extended periods of rest or even surgery to remove the loose pieces of bone. And the arm will never be the same after that kind of surgery," says Dr. Collins..
Luckily, many pitching injuries are preventable, says Dr. Collins. "Learning correct throwing techniques and properly pacing your child’s pitching progress can greatly reduce the risk of injury. Educate yourself and your child about body mechanics, the proper ages for different pitches, and the appropriate amount of pitching. Talk to your child’s coach about it, and check with a doctor or athletic trainer as well. Take an active role in your child's sport and realize that no one will care more about your son's arm than you do."
For more information about pitching injuries, call Center for Orthopaedics at 721-7236 or visit www.centerforortho.com.
Guidelines from the American Sports Medicine Institute recommended for all youth pitchers:
Different leagues have different pitch count guidelines and these focus only on pitches thrown during regular games, not during practice, at home or when pitching in multiple leagues. Recommended limits for youth pitchers are as follows:
9-10 year old pitchers:
§ 50 pitches per game
§ 75 pitches per week
§ 1000 pitches per season
§ 2000 pitches per year
11-12 year old pitchers
§ 75 pitches per game
§ 100 pitches per week
§ 1000 pitches per season
§ 3000 pitches per year
13-14 year old pitchers
§ 75 pitches per game
§ 125 pitches per week
§ 1000 pitches per season
§ 3000 pitches per year
¨ Pitch count limits pertain to pitches thrown in games only. These limits do not include throws from other positions, instructional pitching during practice sessions, and throwing drills, which are important for the development of technique and strength. Backyard pitching practice after a pitched game is strongly discouraged.
¨ Pitchers should not throw breaking pitches (curveballs, sliders, etc.) in competition until their bones have matured (indicated by puberty) - typically about 13 years of age.
¨ Pitchers should develop proper mechanics as early as possible and include more year-round physical conditioning as their body develops.
¨ A pitcher should be prohibited from returning to the mound in a game once he/she has been removed as the pitcher.
¨ Baseball pitchers are discouraged from pitching for more than one team in a given season.
¨ Baseball pitchers should compete in baseball no more than nine months in any given year, to give the pitcher's body time to rest and recover. For at least three months a year, a baseball pitcher should not play any baseball, participate in throwing drills, or participate in other stressful overhead activities (javelin throwing, football quarterback, softball, competitive swimming, etc.). |
