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Reply to "Should put my son in a pitching program."

CaCO3Girl posted:
Jayden2005 posted:

At what level do position players that also pitch stop pitchingand just play their position. 

A few things:

1. My son didn't throw anything overhand from october-february while 15u and below. Result was his counterparts pretty much all got hurt with growth plate issues, arm fatigue, little league elbow, stress fractures...and on and on. He has not.  The worst time for arm injuries is 12u-14u, they are just very fragile then, shutdown is vital for health.

2. Arm programs absolutely have their place, but I'd wait until 10th grade.

3. The game tells the kid when they are a PO or a two way player, or a position player.  My son was that kid who played every position.  Wherever they pulled the pitcher from he could play there.  He also played a lot of 1B and OF.  He has decent speed, decent bat....but he started pitching at age 12, and there was something special there..  Here we are as a junior in high school, his last summer, and he wants to play outfield and not just pitch.  He's going to be a pitcher in college, he has accepted this, but for his last year of travel ball, he is having to drop down a level so he can play outfield part time.  So, when does the divide happen between being a PO and a position player, I'd say it happens when you let it happen, and what you are willing to do to remain not just one or the other.

4. As they grow they have to relearn hitting and pitching weekly! I am not joking.  A poor outing now means nothing.  How well would you do either if your one arm or leg was now an inch longer than the other one?

5. Be wary of coaches who know it all, they don't, regardless of their "qualifications".  Puberty is a literal game changer. Do not allow your child to be pigeon holed into any one position.  That would be a mistake. For all you know the only way for him to play HS ball is to be a third basemen, do you really want him to tell the high school coach he only plays outfield?

I would second a couple of things that Cacogirl said here, namely the game tells you when and also not to get pigeon-holed into one spot.

I also MARVEL at the lack of vision some families/players have when it comes to converting to PO. Look at the rosters for any college team, and 1/2 the roster is pitchers, and maybe 1-2 guys listed as 2-way players. If I had a kid that was being converted to a PO in high school I would embrace that and work like a lunatic to get his measurable where he could play at the next level, be it JUCO or D1. Your chances of playing at the next level are exponentially better as a pitcher. I get it, parents want to see their kid play every game, but realistically at the college level only 8 guys on a team do that. The others are in a pitching rotation/relief pitchers or play due to situational factors (match ups), pinch hitting/running, etc. More scholarship dollars are spent on positions up the middle (C, P, MIF, CF) than any other position on the whole.

Regarding being a position player and being pigeon-holed, my son is a perfect example. Was a darn good catcher up until 13 years old, then his HS feeder team converted him to MIF. He plays 2B, SS and 3B now and is pretty good at all of them. What he doesn't play is catcher. I never saw that coming, always expected him to be a catcher. Grateful to those who saw him as a MIF guy, because that is what he will play at the next level.

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