Need Advice :)

General Pitching Topics
#1

Hello! I am new here and I have a few questions…My son is eight years old and this is his first year pitching. He is an amazing talent and could really go far with his arm. He is currently pitching at 65 mph and is about 60% acurate with throwing a strike. He is going into the third grade and I find this amazing. I cannot catch his balls without ending up with black and blue fingers the next day!

What can I do to help his arm so that he does not receive any injuries. Is it good for an eight year old to be throwing so fast and hard at a young age? I am very proud of him, but I want to make sure that this doesn’t lead to injuries years down the road. Also, are there any very good National baseball camps I can send him to in the future to ensure he has the best technique and training? Thanks :slight_smile:

Trish

#2

Stay away from curves and all that for a long awhile. With a fastball like that he should be coasting through his age group. You might want to teach him a changeup.

#3

Welcome!

65mph - if that is accurate - is amazing for an 8 year old. That kind of force can really put some wear and tear on his soft growth plates. My opinion would be to limit how much he pitches. Encourage your son to play catch and throw the ball frequently but limit his pitching. There is a difference between throwing and pitching. Definitely adhear to recommended pitch count limits as well as recommended rest between pitching performances. Also, as already mentioned, stay away from breaking pitches.

You can find pitch count recommendations on the here
http://www.asmi.org/]American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) website
. The recommendations are located [url=http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/youthpitchcounts.htm[/url].

One other thing to be aware of is that the kids with the best arms tend to be the workhorses for their teams. This might seem great but it can result in those kids getting overused to the point they’re physically and/or mentally burned out by the time they’re 13 or 14. They may even be permanently damaged as well. So you need to watch this.

Finally, learn as much as you can about proper pitching mechanics, pitch types and recommended ages, and overuse injuries and how to avoid them. You are your son’s best protection while he is young.

#4

All I can say is wow

#5

there are some 14 year olds who cant even throw that

WOW

#6

im 12 and thats what i throw

#7

Oh make sure he wants to have fun playing too. If your true to what you say, hands down, he has talent. A lot of it. Make sure he stays with it but still has fun. Don’t put too much pressure on him. Let him play with his friends and have fun. Don’t push him just because you think he could be a MLB player (not saying you are now, you obviously show concern, some parents can get like this). It’s hard to make money off baseball. With pitching too getting to the majors can just be luck at times. Getting a chance to prove yoruself. I know I’m getting ahead but its important that you don’t think about all this. He has talent. But let him have fun. (not saying your not)

DISCLAIMER: I’m just trying to make a point to you and not accusing you of anything. He has talent but teach him good things. A change-up is a great pitch. Wait on the curve and work on good mechanics. It’s great you show some interest in protecting him. It really is. Keep up the good work.