soreness pain

[iMlearning]

After about 4 or 5 pretty hard practices, a few of the girls are complaining of being sore in the shoulder and elbow. One is my daughter- just behind the elbow and back of the shoulder (non-pitcher). They've really stepped up the intensity in the 2 1/2 hour sessions in a warehouse that is about 40 degrees on a good day (it's warmer outside at times) Is this something to be concerned about, or is it from being off from throwing 1 1/2 months. They only did batting during that time. A girl that plays volleyball with my daughter missed it because she said she was so sore in the arms Thanks!

 

[02Crush]

What age group?
Who is teaching them throwing?
What is the technique being taught?
Are you using weighted balls?
Are you using any particular drills as they relate to them using their arms?

 

[iMlearning]

It's a 14u age group and the coaches are very experienced in an A level program. Most of the girls have played this level for several years. No weighted balls are being used and a variety of throwing drills are being done with them being very picky on form. One is a long distance throw as hard and level as they can throw it- I do see a lot of girls shaking out their arm after that one. Other than that, I can't see what it would be other than in the cold warehouse maybe they aren't getting warmed up enough. Maybe I'm being over concerned and they're just getting the rust knocked off them.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

How many days a week are you doing this? 40 degrees is pretty cold to be working for 2 1/2 hours. That is a long practice in the middle of the winter. I would go about an hour and that would be it.

I would also ask, are they doing a proper warm up?

I am afraid that some girls might already be hurt, from this routine. Are you coaching or just a dad? Softball should not hurt. I wouldn't send my DD back, until she is 100% and some changes are made to the practices.

 

[02Crush]

One is a long distance throw as hard and level as they can throw it- I do see a lot of girls shaking out their arm after that one.

I think this is the culprit. Long toss and Hard Toss combined in cold weather. I think you could do long toss then shorten the distance to 40' for harder throws and increase this by roughly 10% weekly to build strength. I agree with Screwball...only increase this by 10% each time you perform the task each week.
So long toss starts at 60' then does to 65' then goes to 70' then 75' then 80 and so on and so forth....
Hard toss starts at 40' then 45' then 50' then 55' and so on and so forth.

Maybe I'm being over concerned and they're just getting the rust knocked off them.

You are not being over concerned. Especially when this is not just one player.

 

[iMlearning]

Thanks for all of the responses. I'm just a Dad btw The practices were pretty hard from day one and have gotten more intense. Maybe they use the 10% rule and start at hard and then go to really hard. It's 2 1/2 hours twice a week. This is the first time they've done it in a warehouse this cold and they are having problems with getting it warmed up. The first week had the shortest warm up, but they have been longer since. The problem is, my daughter has been hurting since the first week but wants to keep practicing. She loves the coaches and the workout. I didn't want to mention it to the coaches because of their great reputation etc...I'll talk to them this weekend. We picked up some heating pads and have been icing after practice and workouts. I think I'll talk to a doctor in our neighborhood tomorrow.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Here is my personal feeling on work outs of any type that are once or twice a week, it isn't frequent enough, to build up any endurance. Your body starts all over every workout. I would have started with 1 hour, twice a week and told the girls to add a 3rd or 4th day at home or at another activity. Girls that are 14 and want to do this are old enough to add a run and some throwing on their own.

This sounds like what I hear from rec allstar teams who run the girls the first week, in some effort to "get them in shape." grrrr

 

[02Crush]

It is probably intense soreness right now but they need to consider running some drills for a few practices to let the "cool" down and then come back to throwing otherwise this could become an injury.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

So watch out for the big "T" (tendinitis)

Once that sucker takes hold it's hard to kick.

I believe more girls suffer from more bad overhand mechanics than pitching.

So I think it was too much too fast and probably culled out the ones that could use a few mechanics tweaks.

 

[iMlearning]

Also 40 degrees here is quite common for softball weather in the spring, so I would think they were warmed up enough by going through the practice and being inside and not effected by wind etc. I think a PT told me 40 is the cut-off then below you have to worry.

That's good to know. I probably made it worse by trying to let it rest during the week, but it was being used for overhand serving in volleyball.