Originally Posted by TCWPreps:
Fleisig, though, said no curveball is safe. He recommends a pitcher learn a fastball at age 8, a changeup at 10 and a curveball at 14. All other pitches – such as a slider or split-finger fastball – should not be introduced until high school.
This is the best pitching advice I have consistently heard over the years. I hope parents of all young pitchers abide by this. If your pitcher learns to change speeds at a young age, he'll get batters out. Throwing a change up for a younger pitcher is easy to learn and easier to control than a curve and batters just don't expect it. Let the curve ball wait until the kids are older and their body has developed.