I am pretty sure that pretty much every Dad out there knew what their kid threw velocity wise when they first started throwing. If they didn't, they had a pretty good idea. Sure, we are not going to see guns popping up at little league games- I mean really- when was the last time that guns started showing up behind the backstop at little league games? Not only parents, but the kids themselves want to know what velocity they throw- even at 10 years of age. And we all know the rest of the story....when one kid finds out what he throws it becomes a competition of sorts to see who is the fastest thrower in a group. It's no wonder that speed guns are set up at pretty much every professional ballfield in the country- everyone wants to know what velocity they throw- where they stack up.
From that very first reading on- whether it was at age 9 or age 15, people become obsessed with gaining more velocity. Thats not a bad thing, it eventually breeds into pitchers able to throw upper 90's and living the high life for the select few who can bring it.
Whether we like it or not, little leagues, travel leagues, etc, across the nation are going to continue to be the breeding ground for kids and parents obsessed with gaining more velocity and the endless comparisons between little Johnny and Peter will be the drive for gaining that velocity. There is not a single parent or player out there that has not obsessed to some degree over their velocity from when they first started pitching. Comparisons are also going to continue- even at 10 years old- its perfectly natural to always know where one stacks up.
Even from early ages, once a pitcher has showed some genuine ability, parents and coaches have tried everything in the book to generate the right sequence of teaching, training and coaching to exert the most potential velocity from an arm for the present and the future.
There is a reason we do not see the kids with the weak arms pitch or continue to pitch as they get older. Baseball gradations at each level filter out weak arms and either eliminate them or limit their playability altogether. Parents and kids know this and so the endless drive in youth baseball players to gain velocity will continue. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not! Should we never gun little 10 year old Johnny? Good luck on that happening- kids and/or parents will always find a gun and the comparisons will always be the battleground for gaining velocity.