A little help

I would focus on gaining weight and building your strength slowly. Don't do weights for now. Eat balanced meals with some emphasis on meat for protein. Drink water-no pop- to keep your system flushed and purified. You should try to get up to 175 lbs, depending on your height.

Your training should consist of walking at first with some stretching and light 3 or 4lb dumbbell work for gradual strength. Don't lift the dumbbell over shoulder height so as to avoid shoulder impingement.

After six weeks of gradually building up endurance (walking distance) and strength, you can add running and bicycling. Then add light free weights focusing on max reps with lower weights transitioning, after another 3-4 weeks to fewer reps and greater weights.

Meanwhile, you need to work on your baseball skills by practicing nearly every day. Start throwing and begin to add a long-toss program (do a search on this site for more information on long-toss). 3-4 weeks before tryouts, find a plyometric program at a local community college and enroll. If possible, find a program that's related to baseball skills so you can hit in the cages before or after doing the plyometric work.

Now the hard part. Dedicate yourself to learning what you have to do to get to the next level. Hang around baseball people and drop that network of friends that got you in trouble. And resolve, regardless of whether this baseball dream works out or not, you'll never look back.

Good luck.

What Bum said.

And I just want to commend you for realizing your life was more important than drugs and how THAT robbed you of much of your most important and fun times in life. No need to dwell on the past (and you probably aren't, just saying) because today is the only thing you can control and win.

I think it is awesome that you are looking at life and want to accomplish things that you know in your heart that you can do.

As a little motivation, read this little bio on Josh Hamilton.

Josh Hamilton Bio

I recommend you get his book "Beyond Belief: Finding the strength to come back" and read it. It will literally pump you up on your return!

Good luck young man. I wish you the very best.

YGD

quote:

Originally posted by Bum:

Now the hard part. Dedicate yourself to learning what you have to do to get to the next level. Hang around baseball people and drop that network of friends that got you in trouble. And resolve, regardless of whether this baseball dream works out or not, you'll never look back.

Good luck.

Well said.