Wednesday, June 20, 2012

DR. JAMES ANDREWS LITTLE LEAGUE ARM PROBLEMS

Baseball pitch counts, year around play and who looks after a players arm are discussed by the famous  Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who patients include Michael JordanJack NicklausEmmitt SmithJohn SmoltzTroy AikmanCharles BarkleyRoger ClemensAndrei MarkovBo JacksonRyan BroylesAdrian Peterson just to name a few.




From Littleleague.org - Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. James Andrews, the world’s foremost authority on pitching-related injuries and a member of the Little League International Board of Directors, has identified five main risk factors that contribute to arm injuries sustained by amateur pitchers. By paying attention to these risk factors, Dr. Andrews, who was instrumental in the development of Little League’s Pitch Count regulations, is convinced that many of the surgeries he is performing weekly on teenagers and younger, can be avoided.


Click here for an ESPN article.


While there are many opinions as to what is best for a Little League pitcher's arm. If the most well known doctor who has operated on some of the best known athletes of all time concludes that something is not good for your child you may want to listen. Whether you are the coach or parent it is your responsibility to keep the child save and injury free regardless of the score or importance of the game. There will always be another game, but your child only gets one arm.

4 comments:

  1. With that said is there a pitch count used in your sons travel league? Do you know of any pitching related stats and or injury concerns based around fast pitch softball? I have heard there is no concern as this is actually a normal motion (underhand) but in the back of my mind It is a concern I ponder..
    Dave

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    1. Regarding the travel team question. I have placed a limit of 50 pitches and the coach has done as asked. Also my son plays on a strong majors team with four 12 year old pitchers and has thrown seven innings on the season. During Little League he has played in four travel tournaments and has thrown 50 each time. He has pitched 273 pitches since Jan. 18.

      As to a formal limit, not that I know of.

      The gate keepers of a pitchers arm are the parents and the coach. If they do not have the same philosophy, then it is the parent who needs to step in. It is their child and they are the responsible party as to the well being of their child. The coach is there to teach and win games with safety in mind. The body language of the pitcher is best know by the parent not the coach.

      As to softball pitchers. I do have concerns for the repetitive motion but I have never seen any conclusive information. I watched the NCAA softball world series and one pitchers threw five games in six days. She looked good, but she is also a grown women. The younger they are the more concern. If a parent wants them to peak at 10 then throw them as much as you want to at 10 but if you want them to peak at 21 then use caution. If the pitcher can throw hard and has command of her pitches when she is mature, it will not matter how she did when she is 10. If she can pitch, she can pitch. The girls I saw in the College WS were 5'9" to 5'11" and 165 lbs. Genetics play a large roll in the success of any athlete.

      Have you seen or heard anything about under hand pitching and do you feel differently than my opinion?


      I will always use caution over a win anytime where there is a child's safety in mind.

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  2. I have yet to see any print that defines problems for the ladies. I play in plenty of tournaments that feature a lone pitcher on the team including myself last year. I have even talked with local pitching coaches. Nobody has given any reason to assume any problems from this will occur? In the back of my mind I still hold wonder.

    I have seen many kids abused in my days, mostly from dad who thought their sons were the next Nolan Ryan. Unfortunately this is the sad truths of youth sports sometimes. Little league has done a great job by using pitch counts, next focus needs to be the true curve ball. In little league the two most deadly pitches are the fastball and the change up. A football pitch is the only other pitch ever allowed from one of my pitchers over the years, if they wanted to use breaking stuff. Change of speed can dominate the game and has zero arm implications when thrown correctly.
    Dave

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    1. Thank you for the wisdom. I teach three pitches, the two and four seam fastball as well as the circle or palm ball change up, depending on the pitcher's hand size. The curve ball is deadly on the batter as well as the pitchers arm. A straight change is also deadly to the batter but easy on the arm.

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