Off Season rest for pitcher how long ?

[wpaguy]

How long should your pitcher rest after last tournament of summer ? I just assumed resting for 4-6 weeks is the thing to do before fall tournaments start back up in Sept ? opinions

 

[cobb_of_fury]

I have wrestled with this since DD was 9 -

Last tournament - End of July
Tryouts - Late July - Mid August
Fall Ball / Tournaments - Late August / September / October
Winter Tournaments, Camps, Lessons and conditioning - November / December / January /
Spring Conditioning - February
School Ball - March/April/Early May
Summer - May~July
Start Over again

Not sure when they get REAL down time.

 

[wpaguy]

I have wrestled with this since DD was 9 -

Last tournament - End of July
Tryouts - Late July - Mid August
Fall Ball / Tournaments - Late August / September / October
Winter Tournaments, Camps, Lessons and conditioning - November / December / January /
Spring Conditioning - February
School Ball - March/April/Early May
Summer - May~July
Start Over again

Not sure when they get REAL down time.

My DD has not complained of any pain or injury ...Just makes sense to me to take a rest. We don't have to tryout. Her team for most part stayed together. She will get a least 4-5 weeks rest from pitching until fall practices / tournaments. Maybe a couple weeks in December .

 

[cobb_of_fury]

Rest is definitely good - We tend to go light on practicing from Last tourney Maybe a bit more the week before first tryout then an easy schedule before Fall ball.

This year she got a double whammy - She has to Tryout for a new team and shell be a freshman for HS ball and really wants to make varsity - SO Fall ball is more important then in the past.
But we finished up earlier then we have in the past so she's had some rest.

 

[coachjwb]

I think a 4-6 week rest then is great if you can do it ... but many pitchers are attending tryouts throughout the month of August, and then the team they make is starting practice before you know it, so not always possible. Several weeks over the holidays is nice too if you can do it.

 

[mike_dyer]

If she's a wee tike hide her stuff from her.

You'll know she's ready to throw some more when she asks where it's at.

 

[Practice?]

We've always shut down all throwing for 4 weeks after Nationals. It's worked great for DD to recover and refuel for next season.

 

[trcyknny7]

We have tried in the past to give the entire team a 4-6 week break. But because of tryouts and fallball, it doesn't happen till fall ball is over. And of course, if the girls loves to pitch, good luck trying to get her to not throw any for that long. She will probably sneak out behind the barn and do it anyway.

 

[FastBat]

I just assumed resting for 4-6 weeks...

Did you mean 4-6 hours after her last summer tournament? Because 4-6 weeks right now seems impossible. My dd takes December or slows down a lot then, naturally due to the holidays. But, she works hard all fall. I like her pitching outdoors as long as possible and catching her indoors is difficult for me.

 

[daboss]

Many already know my stance on this subject but I'll share again what I believe is in your daughter's best interest. Kids need down time for many reasons which include a chance to rest the muscles used when pitching. I suggest they quit completely for Sept. thru October, 2 months away from pitching. Go do something else even if that means Volleyball. While volleybal may seem to use the same bank of muscles at times it actually is a different motion using them in a different manner. You still get to rest those areas of the body that need the R&R from the repetitious use of pitching. This allows the body to rejuvenate and can help promote the joints and muscle groups to continue to develop and mature. Most doctors and trainers tell me this is important and to me it only makes sense.

In most cases the time away can help in the learning curve as well. Give the girls a chance to step away from the grind and process things diring the down time. They may not be throwing but their mind is working things out. It helps promote them to get hungry to come back and try a few things that may have finally "clicked" after some down time. They get anxious to get back to throwing and helps with those pitchers that may be borderline burnouts. That is something we want to avoid at any cost.

I'm not a big fan of fall ball for front line pitchers that have thrown so much in the season. secondary pitchers still working to come into themselves or beginning pitchers can use the fall season to increase their level of skill but even they need a certain amount of down time to rejuvenate. Take some time away from the game and smell the roses. It's a big world.

 

[Fairman]

There is always a two-week break from TB to beginning fall workouts. We would then use the fall season to work on new pitches in game situations. There seems to be a natural fall off of throwing from Thanksgiving to after New Years that worked well for my dd's with maybe only maintenance pitching with once a week work outs. By mid-January the bug states to bite and they would be start throwing seriously again getting ready for the upcoming campaigns.

 

[CarMad]

Dang! All along I thought the break was for the parents. Ha!
We traditionally shut down after nationals for 4-5 weeks but with the fall showcases and camps we will wait until the Holidays. She will definitely not pitch for at least 2 weeks after nationals though. Every kids situation is different but rest is a must.

 

[Longtoss1]

I have typically given my DD around 5 weeks or so off after each season....last year though 4 weeks into her time off she broke her ankle and ended up taking almost 10 weeks off which when I look back on it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She came back stronger then she ever had. I do not know yet how much rest we will be able to get this time but I am going to shoot for somewhere between 6-8 weeks and hope I can get at least 6 weeks.

 

[Pacerdad57]

Except for tryouts, we shut down thru August/September. Then kick back up for fall ball and in conjunction with school conditioning. Seems to work well for her, and they all need a bit of down time to just be teens.

 

[Spartandad]

Mine is getting about 5-6 weeks off until Sept. 1st or so. They threw the crap out of her in high school 99+ innings plus a very busy travel ball season with about the same right after that so it was like 2 seasons back-to-back and it took its toll on her body. Going in to her sophomore year things are going to be a little different. More offseason focus on core strength and stabilization long with overall strength and conditioning program designed to help her body withstand those types of innings. Going to incorporate some swimming into her offseason as well. Her travel pitching suffered as her lower back began giving her trouble. I hope to keep her fall pitching to a minimum and begin really pitching in December, or thereabouts.

 

[Lusdad]

Pitchers need at least 4 weeks off from all throwing , whether its after the regular summer season, or after fall ball. My DD's college coach shut her down for 4 weeks after the summer games last season , and she is now shut down from all throwing, pitching until she goes on campus in a couple weeks.
They need time to rest!! Once they get in high school they will be going from end of February through mid May, even into June if they play deep into districts, regionals, states. Its not uncommon for them to start travel as soon as they are done with HS ball. Thats 6 months of ball! If you throw another month or so through the fall your approaching 8 months.
Pitchers will get burnt out! they will get tired, develop bad habits associated with burnout or just being tired, and risk possible injury to their arms,shoulders, elbows ,legs, feet. The arms/shoulders are not the only part of a pitchers body to be worried about. DD has developed foot problems, toe problems, from the constant impact of stride after stride during the season. Knee problems are not uncommon either. You must find time to shut them down to rest.

 

[FastBat]

Ok, so everyone agrees pitchers need rest. But, my dd's last game was last Thursday, she had a tryout last Sunday and was back at pitching lessons on Monday. She has a few other tryouts in the next few weeks. Plus, her fall league starts 8/28, she has pitched from 43 feet this summer but that's a 43 feet league. She needs to prepare for that distance.

So with that schedule, when does she take time off? I just don't understand how others can take off, she's 11 years old. Actually, I think this is the first year she doesn't want to stop, usually by this time in the softball season she's sick of softball, not this year. She seems excited to keep working and getting better, I'm not sure why this year is different.

I still think kids like my dd need to wait until December or later fall for her break. IDK?

 

[Pacerdad57]

School workouts (weightlifting/cardio) start soon, (early sept), followed by open gyms for pitching, along with weekly pitching lessons, along with a job and school, and with tryouts/fall practices and tournies, there really isn't another time frame to try to get a couple of weeks break for the DD. a week off around Christmas maybe, but surely there will be a winter league or pitching/hitting league also, then late winter travel practice right up until school ball starts, then right back into travel ball.
it's BUSY!, so this is about the only break available to her.

 

[FastBat]

I think as they age, it just gets more and more of a time commitment, if they take it seriously.

 

[Pacerdad57]

I think as they age, it just gets more and more of a time commitment, if they take it seriously.

no doubt, it surely does