I have my opinion on this subject but I am curious to what the other members think. Would you consider pitching every weekend from May to the end of November too much for a 13 yr. old? She began pitching at the age of 9 and began playing travel ball at age 10, but was pitched sparingly her 1st year. Each year her pitching time increased as she got better and better. Last year in 12U, she pitched in almost all the bracket games and pitched all the games against the better competition. This will be her 1st year of 14U and her Dad has her pitching every weekend with her team or as a guest player for others who need a pitcher when she is not playing wih her TB team. Is she being spread too thin and would you be concerned with burn out or overuse injury at this age?
13 year old pitching every weekend
- Thread starter tojo
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It depends on how many games she plays. How many times she practices every week. My oldest would get over used on occassion. 3 games a weekend was perfect, 4 games ok, but when she had to pitch 5 games then she was tired out mid way through. Usually in the championship game.
Regularly guest pitching seems strange to me when she is getting in so many innings in for her own Team. Sounds like the priorities are a little mixed up. Go to Disney, or whatever 13 YOAs like to do, every once in a while and get away from softball.
It is better to be safe, than sorry. What you describe is a heavy work load. I just see so many one time greats around me, that are now suffering some kind of overuse injury, while "trying" to pitch in college. And they aren't even 21 YOs.
- Jul 26, 2010
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How much Facebook time is too much? What limits should be placed on texting? Is playing video games more then 4 hours a day healthy?
There are bigger fish to fry.
-W
There are bigger fish to fry.
-W
You responded to my question with a question. I'm not asking about Facebook, texting, video games or frying fish. I asked for an opinion about a 13 yr. old pitching too much or not. If you have an opinion or an answer to the subject of my thread, that would be helpful. I cannot answer your question because I'm not all that into either of your questions or that knowledgeable about them. I don't know the answer to your questions, therefore your post provides no insight.
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I always " tried " to keep mine under 20 innings in a weekend. Sunday usually shed throw complete games. Saturday she might come in as a relief, or to just keep the arm loose.
Figure 20 innings is about 4 games in travel ball.
Figure 20 innings is about 4 games in travel ball.
Yes mam there was, once she complained about it hurting I should have stopped it. But she is hard headed and never told me how bad it was. She still pitched in the Triple Crown and a world series with a torn cuff. Once I saw her speed dropping, I knew there was more going on than she was telling me. I made her shut down mid season in the fall, cold turkey.
Every child is different. A lot depends on their physical endurance and structure. Instead of putting an number on the innings try putting one on how many pitches thrown. There is nothing wrong with pitching every weekend, heck my daughter pitches every day (practice and games) but does she stress her arm? No. So the question is can this girls sling heat just 100 pitches or 300 pitches? Our best pitcher last year at the JV level could not handle more than 90 pitches and she started down hill fast but would be ready the next day to do it again. So as I started off with, every child is different.
There is no question (1) softball pitchers can pitch more than baseball pitchers and (2) that softball pitchers can get hurt from pitching too much.
So, a reasonable limit for a TB tournament where the games are subject to a 75 minute time limit would be 2 games a day on the weekend, for four games total. Then, that would be followed by two days (Monday and Tuesday) *COMPLETELY* off, with light pitching starting again on Wednesday.
KCM, you are wrong. Your DD is subject to the same rules of physics and anatomy that everyone is. *REPETITIVE* stress syndrome can hurt anyone. Doing the same physical activity over a long period of time will result in injury. The classic example is carpel tunnel syndrome.
There is no single injury. The injury occurs over a long period of time by the muscles being torn without giving the muscles time to heal.
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