Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Weightlifting - Pitchers

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Google search Matt Wenning....he is the owner of Ludus Magnus Performance gym located in columbus...he is awesome when it comes to sports science and helping people young and old obtain their maximum potential with whatever goals they need to achieve.

 

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I stress that parents seek qualified training and sports-specific medical advice from the beginning of your daughter's sports career. These go hand-in-hand as your daughter grows in chronological years, strength and athletic ability. Do not make assumptions that just because someone is involved in sports that they have your daughter's best interest in mind. Remember - your daughter is ONE OF A KIND. Her physical make-up is unique, and what may be harmless to one kid may eventually harm another - such as a certain pitching motion, the number of reps with dumbbells, etc. These things are key to injury prevention and longevity of your daughter's pitching career. Using "cookie cutter" methods in intense sports training is a dangerous concept.

During her playing years, my DD was fortunate to have a physician who was affiliated with a sports medicine practice. They had MRI, x-ray and all the "toys" that active athletes might typically need right there on premises, including sports-oriented physical therapy. The bonus was that we garnered a ton of sports specific medical advice from the physicians and physical therapy staff. Accordingly, we were armed with educated questions to ask her pitching coaches. Ultimately, it was a team effort, and isn't that what softball should be about anyway?

I realize that this approach may not be available to everyone, especially in smaller towns. But the key concept is the same - strive for assembling a team of professionals - medical, conditioning and coaching - who can get to know your daughter's specific needs, and knows the path she is on.

 

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Sammy's post is right on...

I attended a clinic for softball and baseball coaches yesterday put on by Matthew Krause the REDS strength and conditioning coach.

Looking back at my notes this issue came up and his opinion was moderate to intense weight lifting is not needed for softball or baseball pitchers and he recommended NO intense weightlifting for any athlete under High School age. After 15 a pitcher specific plan that "will differ" from the other players in the technique, time, reps etc.

Way too much to information to put down in a post but he did a good job of relating stories of former and current players, their conditioning programs and how one can get the most out of their strength and conditioning program while ensuring the player hits the goals of:
1. Injury prevention to rotator cuff and levator scapula upper back lower back, wrist, and elbow.
2. Improved performance with being able to throw more pitches and better quality pitches per outing.
3. Improved sports literacy/language..player understands progressive systematic technique, understands goals of the program including pre and post training assessments.

Les may have some other stuff from his notes.

 

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Coach Dennis
Great post!

I'd like to you to line#1: knees and ankles.
You see far to many knee and ankle hardware on our players, maybe more than baseball.

 

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Howard always points out why females knees are susceptible to knee injuries. My biggest fear with my girls, knock on wood we have been lucky.

instead of weight lifting I would term it as strength training.

 

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Ahh, great catch fairman...

Yes, they did discuss the difference an training of the lower body Hips and knees between male and female athletes and damage that can be done when training females like males.

Example; Shuttle and roll over differences and what the coach needs to look for in the female athlete to avoid the knee tendon rolling like a rope over a rock...

 

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My little one just developed "Little League Shoulder" so I took her to a specialist at Akron Childrens. I am a certified personal trainer, but I am used to working with adults so I wanted to make sure our rehab was appropriate for a 10 year old. He has her doing JUST band training. A lot of internal and external rotation, over head press, and bicep curls. No weight lifting at this point. He did say that after the age of 13 or so, he would recommend more strength training with light weights and supervised. He stressed that the biggest issue with kids and teens lifting weights is that they don't know how to lift properly and therefore are at more risk for injury - Not necessarily their biological maturity.