Great post, Diamond Dogs!
This statement jumped out at me: "One kid, a PO, was diagnosed with the growth plate injury."
That was SO common among pitchers (and more than one catcher) when JP was playing all that youth baseball. Makes me wonder: If a boy is throwing enough to cause damage to a growth plate before he matures, is he more likely to injure his arm later? I don't know the answer, but seriously -- that was COMMON.
My good friend's son had that injury at 12 -- and he totally shut him down, and didn't allow him to pitch until HS. I think that was smart.
And you are SO RIGHT about how everyone gets caught up in the moment when it comes to youth baseball championships! Heck, we LOVED IT!! Felt like it meant a lot! And in some ways, I suppose it did -- at the time.
We had a blast as a family -- traveling all over, camping, fishing, watching our son play the game he loved. And truth be told, most all of the boys on JP's youth teams are doing very well today. LOTS of D1 scholarships.
But more than one pitcher has paid a hefty price.
So Caco, 2020, and all of you loving parents of young pitchers, all I offer is this:
Let your son have fun. This is a great sport, and boys make lifelong friends playing it. Go and win a TON of championships, and bond as a family over baseball!!
Just keep in mind always that pitching requires the human body to do things it isn't designed to do -- so be mindful! And if you EVER hear a doctor tell you your son has a 'growth plate injury' shut him down for a LONG LONG time.
Then maybe, just maybe, all of here in the HSBBW community will join you in celebrating his post-HS success.