How Many Weeks does DD take off (from Pitching) in the Off-Season?

[uncdrew]

My DD is in her first year of 12U, and is coming along well with her pitching. While there is always so much to work on, my wife and I are being extra, extra careful with her arm health. We know some friends battling arm injuries with their older pitching daughters and honestly we just don't want her unable to lift her arm when she's in her 30s.

So this year we're trying really, really hard to take an entire 8 weeks off. Last game she pitched was Dec 12th so we're almost at 7 weeks. We took about 4 weeks off from everything but have started back up with fielding and hitting.

Coach is completely supportive of the long break, even though it has us not ready to pitch our first scrimmage back. Coach has a few new pitchers on the team who just joined and we'd all like to see them on the mound anyway.

 

[FP26]

Throughout the travel ball years, DD did not throw at all (overhand or underhand) from the week of Thanksgiving until after New Years. That was her time off. She worked out in other ways, but not with a softball (or bat).

Now as a college player she takes two breaks per year. Approximately 3 or 4 weeks around finals and Christmas. She starts throwing again in mid-January for the return to school. And then for 3 or 4 weeks after the college season is over, before starting summer workouts. Her college coach provides off season position specific workout programs that each player is supposed to follow. As a pitcher, there is a great deal of arm health included in those programs.

 

[uncdrew]

Throughout the travel ball years, DD did not throw at all (overhand or underhand) from the week of Thanksgiving until after New Years. That was her time off. She worked out in other ways, but not with a softball (or bat).

Now as a college player she takes two breaks per year. Approximately 3 or 4 weeks around finals and Christmas. She starts throwing again in mid-January for the return to school. And then for 3 or 4 weeks after the college season is over, before starting summer workouts. Her college coach provides off season position specific workout programs that each player is supposed to follow. As a pitcher, there is a great deal of arm health included in those programs.

Nice to hear what a player under expert supervision does. Thank you.

 

[marriard]

DD pitches best when she practices pitching 2x a week and she does this year round whether she pitches that week or not. When she plays, it is pretty light - lots of technique + long toss versus hard throwing.

She works out 6 days a week in some form - and takes one day off. Wide variety of work outs - running, yoga, weights, softball practice, etc, etc... She seems to rotate the various exercise forms pretty regularly.

She may take breaks from softball - just not from working out (which is just part of her now)

 

[Coach Foster]

In the words of Alan Jaeger (if you don't know who he is, look him up), "Listen to your arm."

I've had girls who have needed multiple weeks off and have had kids with rubber arms who really just took some days off here and there and continued to pitch as they needed and continued similar schedules all throughout their college careers. As a 12u, I'd definitely recommend some type of layoff, though, for the same reasons you mentioned.

There is something, as well, with taking time away and how it effects the mental aspect of your athlete. Most kids need that break where they don't have to compete and just allow them to rest and recover, mentally.

 

[uncdrew]

In the words of Alan Jaeger (if you don't know who he is, look him up), "Listen to your arm."

I've had girls who have needed multiple weeks off and have had kids with rubber arms who really just took some days off here and there and continued to pitch as they needed and continued similar schedules all throughout their college careers. As a 12u, I'd definitely recommend some type of layoff, though, for the same reasons you mentioned.

There is something, as well, with taking time away and how it effects the mental aspect of your athlete. Most kids need that break where they don't have to compete and just allow them to rest and recover, mentally.

I'm also quite curious to see if she's any faster/better after a long break. As many of us know and have experienced, you can sometimes get some nice increases after break. Perhaps it's that mental piece you mention, or just kids growing and arms healing.

 

[BT3100]

3 weeks off in August and 4 weeks off in late December into January.

 

[JumboJack]

Having seen many posts like this I can safely say that the answer is between no time off at all and two or so months off.


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[uncdrew]

Having seen many posts like this I can safely say that the answer is between no time off at all and two or so months off.


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Exactly.

We will really only ever know when it wasn't enough time off. But even with an arm injury in May, who knows if more time off in January would have prevented it or not.

 

[jsoftballcoach]

Throughout the travel ball years, DD did not throw at all (overhand or underhand) from the week of Thanksgiving until after New Years. That was her time off. She worked out in other ways, but not with a softball (or bat).

Now as a college player she takes two breaks per year. Approximately 3 or 4 weeks around finals and Christmas. She starts throwing again in mid-January for the return to school. And then for 3 or 4 weeks after the college season is over, before starting summer workouts. Her college coach provides off season position specific workout programs that each player is supposed to follow. As a pitcher, there is a great deal of arm health included in those programs.

This is about what we do, and add 2-3 weeks rest between summer and fall seasons. DD is 16

DD basically rolled off the couch and threw 3 innings last week with 7Ks and looked strong, so she’s easing back in now. Rest is good.


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