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Hi: Something Every Baseball Parent Needs to Know: 'Swing It! Vol.114 September 19, 2013 |
Something Every Baseball Parent Needs to Know: Fall Ball News
Fall Ball: Time to Take a Break? As we transition from summer to fall and head back to school baseball players have many options. Do we continue to specialize in one sport like baseball or do take a break? Do we play other sports or just take a rest from the game of baseball? Specialize or Diversify? There likely is no concrete right or wrong answer to how much is too much of something. If you enjoy what you are doing then why not do it? If you like to fish or hunt in your spare time then there is nothing wrong with doing it. The one thing in baseball to be cautious about is the pitching arm. Kids that play year-around baseball and indoor baseball in the winter and may be playing close to 100 games a year might be putting them at risk of arm injuries. I would say it is best practice to take the months of November, December and January completely off of hard throwing. Especially for kids ages 13 and under it is time for the body to re-energize and rebuild from the wear and tear of throwing all season. This is also recommended by Dr. Andrews: the inventor of the 'Tommy John' Surgery. How Much is Too Much Baseball?Most high school and college coaches are seeking and looking for athletic ability in an athlete. Players that can run, jump, handle the ball and compete are highly sought after. Why? Because players with all-around athletic ability make better baseball players that help high-level baseball teams win games.Speed, agility, coordination, competitiveness and body strength are important components in developing into a high-level baseball player. Re-Energize and Re-Charge & RejuvenateMost of these types of baseball attributes come naturally in an athlete over time. But, some of these characteristics can come from playing various sports like football, basketball and other sports.Players do not have to play baseball all year. It is highly recommended to diversify into other sports, which lets your baseball muscles rejuvenate and incorporates skills and strengths from other sports into your athleticism. Without an overall package of natural athletic abilities it is likely a ball players ceiling will be reached by the time they enter high school baseball. Well Rounded Athletes Unless a kid blossoms into an all-around athlete naturally in the high school years all the baseball games played pre-puberty are not going to make much difference in a players future baseball career anyway. 75% of baseball players are out of the game at age 14 years old.
Remember...You Cannot Manufacture a Baseball Player Sharpen the Saw...Baseball Hitting, Pitching and Coaching Guides
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