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 John has a master’s degree in exercise science/human performance and doctoral studies in applied physiology. He’s formerly certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Rehabilitative Program Director and Health Fitness Director. He’s authored a college level text for fitness, wellness and conditioning classes. He’s a former baseball coach and all conference collegiate player. He can be reached jrutig@att.net |
| The rocket ship blasts off and everyone is excited and thrilled as it moves through space. Suddenly the bone chilling message is heard- NASA WE HAVE A PROBLEM! Little League, Select Teams (travel baseball), High School Baseball and Pro Baseball – we have a problem. The enjoyment of watching your young child take the mound and pitch with aspirations to compete in High School and perhaps further in College or professionally, is in jeopardy. In a 2015 report – 56.8% of ALL Tommy John surgeries (UCL-Ulnar Collateral Ligament surgery with a tendon graft) were perfomed on teenagers. So you have the bad news. Teenagers blowing out their arms and having surgical repair- now what should you be doing? “Doctors believe almost every UCL tear is an accumulation injury – a ligament worn down over time that finally relents”. (Passan 2016) Unfortunately, ligaments cannot be strengthened by an exercise strengthening program. In a review of the available information and data to answer the simple question – What should we be doing to prevent arm injury due to throwing? I’ve learned an answer and probable solution to this problem is complex. “Doctors, trainers, managers, and coaches must agree that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the arm and shift towards individualized programs…” (Passan 2016). Every person’s body is different and every arm is different. So here are some common sense recommendations to avoid pitching injuries: • Check for signs of overall and arm fatigue. Regularly pitching while fatigued left kids 36 times more susceptible to arm injuries. • Children/Youths who throw more than 100 innings per year are 3.5 times more likely to get hurt. • Dr. James Andrews (famed and well noted Orthopedist M.D.) says “Don’t throw a curveball until you shave.” • Understand the concept – the biggest risk factor for injury is previous injury. (Be cognitive for prevention) Now, let’s get back to reality. I spent Saturday watching my nephew Jeremy play and he pitched two innings. It was an elimination game of a tournament. When he arrived to the mound Mom took a deep breath and was flush and Dad started to pace. Both their adrenaline was flowing as Jeremy was warming up. Batter-up. Some cheers from the teams fans (moms and dads) – throw strikes, throw hard, no walks- heard some Dads say- “we can win this’. MY THOUGHTS – he’s 9 years old, loves to play and plays a lot. Let’s keep that left arm healthy, avoid overuse injuries and hopefully, maybe one day I’ll hear NOW PITCHING FOR THE METS…. |
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20 lucky winners will win $500 each in prizes totaling $10,000. 