Jemez, "A risk that every kid and every coach seems very willing to take". That is the very point. What 12 year old kid knows anything about the risks of improperly throwing a curve or the real risks to growth plates even if thrown correctly. Then there are the coaches who begin each season telling the boys, their parents and themselves that he will not put any player at risk and that things like pitches per game, days between starts, number of curves thrown will be carefully monitored. All well and good until some BIG tournament when all of the above goes out the window. My point is you cannot leave these decisions up to the boys and every parent must look out for the long term health of their sons and athletes and not the won-lost record which guides the coaches'decisions.