Potential for injury

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Mar 20, 2017
47
8
Madison, WI
DD is a 13YO pitcher who throws hard. At last week's lesson her instructor was clocking her speed and saying the numbers out loud. There were a few other parents in the area watching along and as we were leaving, I heard one mumble something like, "that's all great until she gets hurt". For some reason this comment is really bugging me.

I'm just the mom of a pitcher who follows along closely enough to know that DD has decent mechanics and goes to an instructor who stresses throwing as hard as possible while staying injury-free. One lesson, DD came in with KT tape on her thigh for something minor like a muscle strain and he sent her home saying that it wasn't worth further injury or creating a new injury because she was favoring that leg. Point being, I believe the instructor has DD's health in mind and coaches her properly. DD ices after throwing, takes 1 or 2 days off from pitching per week, works out regularly with a program designed for softball pitchers, and generally (I think) does things the right way.

Am I somehow missing something that I am putting DD at risk of injury by having her throw for her top velocity on a fairly regular basis? Some lessons instructor tells her to throw at 75% while she works on something mechanical. Most lessons she throws at full speed with no gun. About once a month, the gun comes out and he checks her speed. She is super-competitive and admittedly gets really dialed up for these sessions, but this always seems like a natural part of the process and motivation for her to keep working hard. Now I'm obsessively reading the DFP threads on arm care and worried that I'm putting her long-term career at risk.

Sorry, maybe more of a rant than anything, but I'm curious if anyone has thoughts on DDs going all-out for speed during lessons and whether this is setting them up for being hurt.

Thanks! JF
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
I would say the bigger risk for injury would come from going at less than game speed in practice and lessons and then trying to throw at high intent in games. She won’t be conditioned to do that. As long as she is getting good and loose and working up to the max intent at lessons, I see it as a positive.

rest, sleep, exercise, diet, stretching, and proper recovery time from max effort throwing are important - so make sure she is doing those things too.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
I agree with Towny9. I have all of my pitchers stretch almost to the point of excess before a game and after a tournament I ask that they take it easy and lazily throw the ball around on Monday to stay loose. Personally, this sounds like an off-hand comment more along the sour grapes line than anything else.
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
I agree with Towny9. I have all of my pitchers stretch almost to the point of excess before a game and after a tournament I ask that they take it easy and lazily throw the ball around on Monday to stay loose. Personally, this sounds like an off-hand comment more along the sour grapes line than anything else.

Sour grapes is right - if someone is hating on her throwing hard it probably means she’s on the right track!
 
Jan 14, 2020
81
18
I agree with Towny9. I have all of my pitchers stretch almost to the point of excess before a game and after a tournament I ask that they take it easy and lazily throw the ball around on Monday to stay loose. Personally, this sounds like an off-hand comment more along the sour grapes line than anything else.
100% with Towny9.... it's how the majority of society is now, crabs in a bucket... stretching is a large part of what we do with our players and practicing at game speed is a must and sprinkle in "walk-through" mechanical work for fine tuning. keep spinning in!
 
Mar 20, 2017
47
8
Madison, WI
Thank you all very much for the responses. The time away from her team has been tough, but the silver lining is that she's made tremendous progress over the last few months. I will re-emphasize the importance of stretching and ignore the haters!
 
May 7, 2020
1
3
My DD is a hard thrower and developed an upper arm injury. We’ve always monitored her innings and useage but slowly over time, we payed less attention to it because she was so strong. We were ‘lulled’ to sleep by her strength until one day, mid game, she starts rolling her shoulder in discomfort.
Ended up being a pissed off growth plate but it took almost a year for her to fully recover. She’s fine now and throwing harder than she did before the injury thanks to 6 mos of PT but the most valuable lesson learned through the process was that she needs time off throughout the year. Diet, rest, stretching... all critical. But time off during the year is the best thing we can do for our DD. We will find 2 times a year where she can take a month off of throwing, every year. Her body needs that shutdown period.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
That kind of comment
blurted out...
"all fine untill ________"
Is just a negative person
being negative!
 
Unless that person saw a mechanical flaw in her pitching that will probably result in an injury. I see girls all the time that have form issues that have to be causing them pain. But they keep pitching. Maybe post a video and let some of the coaches take a look at her form.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
......ummmm....
The pitcher was at a lesson with her instructor.....
How many commentating reviews on mechanics are neccessary.
This is about a blurty blurt blurter.
Dont blow this out of proportion.



Just sayin'
A video and the pluthera of "do it this way".... is a can of worms.

Poster's dd is not in a problematic situation.
As described by poster comments.. Really sounds like the instructor is detailed, paying attention, and on top of it!!
 
Last edited:

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top