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Got this email from my DD's pitching coach today, thought I would share with you. It has some very good information in it. Good Luck to all this High School Season.
I certainly envy all you high school coaches as you start your season this week!!! One of my favorite times in coaching was the end of practices and scrimmages when I would turn the game over to the players to see what they can do. I felt that if I did my job in preseason practices by preparing them to play the best that they can, then the wins and losses take care of themselves. The game was my turn to have fun. So, GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!!
Please use caution with your pitchers!!!! Irregardless of what you hear, you can use your pitchers too much. Amie and I take a lot of pride in teaching a method that is the safest and healthiest for their bodies. The problem we have is that because the method is so fluid and is so easy on the body, we do get overuse injuries. What happens is that they don?t feel any pain and it creeps up on them gradually and before they know it, they have a major injury on their hands. Beware especially of pain in the elbow and pain in the upper shoulder. Those are the areas that we notice in our pitchers who have been shut down.
How much is too much???? If you have a game every day in the week and you use your #1 pitcher for every inning, I would be shocked if you had a healthy pitcher after the first week. I know you want to get the games in but, please be realistic. Coming out in the early season, the weather not the greatest, the body not in outside shape and throwing every game all week and then a double header on saturday??? If she isnt hurt right away, you are putting her on course to have an overuse injury, if not by june, then by july and august as she throws in the summer. Some of you really do not have another pitcher and I know this. But, use someone who can get the ball over in a non conference game. Set your schedules so that you have teams that you can rest your #1.
Are the records worth it???? I know that many pitchers have some lofty goals and are looking to break school and state records. But, from my experience the game has changed so much that many records are going to stand for years. Pitchers used to be able to throw a fastball and a change and do well. Today's hitters are training as much as pitchers and can go deep in the count, they can foul off pitches and put a lot more stress on those arms than what pitchers in the past had to deal with. Now, many of you don?t even let your pitchers throw fastballs, having them throw only movement pitches. This is fine if you give her rest, but the constant stress on the arm while throwing, drops, curves, rises and screws is tremendous. Way more pressure than a fastball.
What to do??? Be reasonable, think about the safety and health of your pitcher. Use ice after games. Watch her innings. Look for signs such as her massaging her arm, or constant stretching on the mound, anything that shows discomfort. As far as practice, if she is your #1 then give her days off. I liked to let her pitch and then nothing the next day if possible. If she throws multiple days then give her a couple of days off from throwing. When she does practice, then a maximum of 30 minutes of hard throwing.
Batting Practice??? I know that many of you do use your pitchers in what you call "live hitting" and this is okay to a degree. Your pitchers should never be told to just throw fastballs or to slow it down so they can hit???? Are you crazy??? You could be facing a lawsuit if she gets pounded in the head from a fastball by one of your good hitters who had seen so many that she was just crushing it. And slowing it down??? Do you want to take all her practice and throw it out the door by making her throw with bad mechanics??? Pitching is a hard skill to learn and from what I see, it is so easy to get bad habits so why tell them to do something that just isn't right? So, If you do use your pitchers for live hitting, let them throw their stuff and give them a time limit. NEVER!!!!!! EVER!!!! JUST PUT THEM IN THE CAGE AND SAY, "THROW FOR 30 MINUTES OR EVERYONE IS GOING TO HIT OFF YOU WITH NO BREAKS!!!!! OUCH!!! I can feel her pain now.
Well, good luck to you all again and I hope you heed the warnings and take the advise that I have given in order to keep that pitcher healthy for your season.
I certainly envy all you high school coaches as you start your season this week!!! One of my favorite times in coaching was the end of practices and scrimmages when I would turn the game over to the players to see what they can do. I felt that if I did my job in preseason practices by preparing them to play the best that they can, then the wins and losses take care of themselves. The game was my turn to have fun. So, GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!!!
Please use caution with your pitchers!!!! Irregardless of what you hear, you can use your pitchers too much. Amie and I take a lot of pride in teaching a method that is the safest and healthiest for their bodies. The problem we have is that because the method is so fluid and is so easy on the body, we do get overuse injuries. What happens is that they don?t feel any pain and it creeps up on them gradually and before they know it, they have a major injury on their hands. Beware especially of pain in the elbow and pain in the upper shoulder. Those are the areas that we notice in our pitchers who have been shut down.
How much is too much???? If you have a game every day in the week and you use your #1 pitcher for every inning, I would be shocked if you had a healthy pitcher after the first week. I know you want to get the games in but, please be realistic. Coming out in the early season, the weather not the greatest, the body not in outside shape and throwing every game all week and then a double header on saturday??? If she isnt hurt right away, you are putting her on course to have an overuse injury, if not by june, then by july and august as she throws in the summer. Some of you really do not have another pitcher and I know this. But, use someone who can get the ball over in a non conference game. Set your schedules so that you have teams that you can rest your #1.
Are the records worth it???? I know that many pitchers have some lofty goals and are looking to break school and state records. But, from my experience the game has changed so much that many records are going to stand for years. Pitchers used to be able to throw a fastball and a change and do well. Today's hitters are training as much as pitchers and can go deep in the count, they can foul off pitches and put a lot more stress on those arms than what pitchers in the past had to deal with. Now, many of you don?t even let your pitchers throw fastballs, having them throw only movement pitches. This is fine if you give her rest, but the constant stress on the arm while throwing, drops, curves, rises and screws is tremendous. Way more pressure than a fastball.
What to do??? Be reasonable, think about the safety and health of your pitcher. Use ice after games. Watch her innings. Look for signs such as her massaging her arm, or constant stretching on the mound, anything that shows discomfort. As far as practice, if she is your #1 then give her days off. I liked to let her pitch and then nothing the next day if possible. If she throws multiple days then give her a couple of days off from throwing. When she does practice, then a maximum of 30 minutes of hard throwing.
Batting Practice??? I know that many of you do use your pitchers in what you call "live hitting" and this is okay to a degree. Your pitchers should never be told to just throw fastballs or to slow it down so they can hit???? Are you crazy??? You could be facing a lawsuit if she gets pounded in the head from a fastball by one of your good hitters who had seen so many that she was just crushing it. And slowing it down??? Do you want to take all her practice and throw it out the door by making her throw with bad mechanics??? Pitching is a hard skill to learn and from what I see, it is so easy to get bad habits so why tell them to do something that just isn't right? So, If you do use your pitchers for live hitting, let them throw their stuff and give them a time limit. NEVER!!!!!! EVER!!!! JUST PUT THEM IN THE CAGE AND SAY, "THROW FOR 30 MINUTES OR EVERYONE IS GOING TO HIT OFF YOU WITH NO BREAKS!!!!! OUCH!!! I can feel her pain now.
Well, good luck to you all again and I hope you heed the warnings and take the advise that I have given in order to keep that pitcher healthy for your season.
