Stats - you said, "Personally I don’t know because it’s a new thought to me, but I have to say that after many years on this earth I lean much more toward being careful than going into it full blast."
I am saying learning how to maximize the very first part of the pitching delivery (stride) is not new, nor should it be viewed as dangerous. It is not a magic bullet, or that instructors just now thought, "let's see if a faster tempo might help"...very old school thought process. Sure, I will give you the fact that there are self-proclaimed "pitching gurus" who can harm unsuspecting kids...I am sure that happens. Having said that, trying to maximize any of the four parts of the delivery is nothing to be scared or worried about, provided you have someone who is qualified...