If your child is a pitcher in baseball or throws a ball of some sort overhead then this video is essential viewing as your child's sporting future could depend on it.
In the video I discuss:

00:45 - Does your child have this potential danger sign when pitching?
01:15 - The biggest problem for little league pitchers is ________
02:45 - What good young pitchers have...
04:15 - What dysfunctional young pitchers have...
04:50 - Shoulder adaptations can occur after just one pitching episode.
06:20 - Get shoulder rehabilitation tips from here...
08:00 - A specialist pitching coach should be part of your team.
08:34 - A physiotherapy assessment could help address these issues
10:48 - Progressive throwing program concepts

The dramatic increase in youth throwing injuries is worrying. I was contacted by a concerned father recently regarding his 14 year old son who plays competitive baseball in the USA as a pitcher and a baseman. He has been throwing quite hard over the last two to three months and has now developed shoulder pain and crepitus. This type of injury is far too common and mostly preventable with the right management. In my research, the majority of experts agree that the number one contributing factor to youth throwing injuries is overuse, almost borderline abuse in some cases.

We have to do better at monitoring workloads and avoiding overuse.

Even one excessive throwing episode can lead to musculotendinous adaptations, learn more HERE.

The American Little League organisation is doing their best to control the number of pitches thrown in young throwers through the Little League Pitch Count Rules - for the latest version of the rules CLICK HERE.

With every pitch count rule change comes a dearth of conjecture and complaint so don't shoot the messenger here. As always these things tend to be an ongoing work in progress. My point here is to take a closer look at the mechanical issues that can impact on a young pitchers performance and ultimate future in the game.

Below are some fantastic free resources to help parents, coaches, and players become more aware of the potential dangers of overuse and stop those shoulder niggles becoming shoulder nightmares.

The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) has some great resources on the prevention and emergency management of kids in sport and in particular youth baseball and softball injuries. Click here to learn more...

 

Here is a PDF of Youth Baseball Injury Prevention Tips.

 

Download the AOSSM Handbook HERE.

 

Let us know about your child's shoulder woe's or wins below: