quote:Am I saying it is safe to gun a 10yo on occasion as long as it isn't done on a regular basis. Absolutely.
CADad,
My son is long gone from this issue. If other parents feel "they" should be able to choose how much "risk" they want for their 10 year old "son" in order to pursue MLB as Sultan posts, nothing I say is going to make a difference.
Since their son is not sitting in Kerlan-Jobe learning of the UCL or labrum tear, they have no idea of the downside risk other than some kids get there, but not "mine."
I believe Sultan's response is clear evidence of this type of approach.
You and I both know that what they do/throw at 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 does not normally show up immediately. While some, such as your son, have acute issues, many of these are not acute.
It is not the gun on them at any individual point in time that is the focal issue.
It is the cumulative effects during those ages, combined with velocity, combined with fatigue, combined with pitch counts that are all inclusive of the definition of "overuse." To the extent that serial "gunning" over those years is part of any of the factors that are incorporated into "overuse" then gunning can be an issue. Clearly, Dr Andrews thinks it is.
You and I both know that this issue is all the risk factors taken together from ages 10 to 15/16, that come into play as cumulative and chronic stress which impacts in HS. Taken together, the risks of serious arm injury go up as much as 3,600 percent by HS. Taken individually, each factor of "overuse" results in an increased risk of anywhere from 250% up to 500% for serious injury during HS, according to recent reports.
An adult saying they are feeling comfortable at age 14 does not make much sense when the real true risk of what happened before starts to become apparent in the next 4 or so years. It makes sense in terms of having avoided acute injury. It does not for cumulative overuse, of which velocity is an identified risk.
With regard to the gun and a 10 year old, my question is... why.
What in the heck is the importance of velocity at age 10 in the overall landscape of baseball? It is parents, using a parents tool to "drive" a youth sport.
There is not a single person in MLB, Milb, college or high school baseball who cares what velocity was shown on a gun at age 10.
It is a predictor of nothing. It adds nothing to how the game is played. To me, is an artificial parent device that gets 10 year olds to throw harder. It adds nothing to the experience, the fun or the game of baseball at that age in my view.