Arm Injuries

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:
Looking for some advice on how to best handle this situation.

We started our Fall Baseball program last week which consists of light practices and Sat. games. Problem I am seeing is I have three players (freshman) with arm injuries that all played on the same summer team (Academy team).

Naturally, we are preventing the boys from throwing. Two are on doctor’s orders not the throw for a specific amount of time and the third is seeking medical advice this week.

Do you point the players and families in the right direction in regards to over use and how to look out for it, strength and conditioning, etc. and leave it at that? Or is a phone call to the local academy coach warranted as well?

I honestly don’t know if you’re kidding about this one. I’d say chances are that you get punched in the mouth if you accused another coach of causing the arm problems. I know if I was an “academy” coach and you pulled that finger pointing garbage with me, that would be my initial response.

Remember who has the ultimate responsibility. Its not you nor is it any coach, unless s/he’s a parent of a player on the team. Go directly to the people with the responsibility! Parents or guardians. Explain what you think is the problem, and put it in their hands to make whatever decision they want.

I’m assuming you’re talking about pitchers, and if you are I think I’d start with requiring a list of all pitching outings for the last year, to include a minimum of date of appearance, # of batters faced, number of pitches thrown, and any visits to an MD or “trainer” for even minor injuries, fo all pitchers. That’s the only way anyone will be able to make a judgment based on facts.

Nope wasn't kidding, and I don't feel like getting punched... sooo, I guess that sums it up.

I recommended to the most recent concerned parent that they seek the advice of a doctor. The other two have already been to the doctor.

Only one of the three is a pitcher.

This has become a very sticky subject over the years. It seems like now a days the belief, and I feel this is at college as well, that you need to play club ball. What I typically do is warn the players of what overthrowing can do to a player and try to get them to buy into a shut down period. In some cases I have referred families to other programs so that their players do not get over used. On my front as a high school coach when we come back in the fall we do not play games on Saturdays until the end of September and for until the middle of September we only throw 2 days a week and don't start bullpens until the middle of September so I can slow the players down. In the end if they don't listen they don't listen.

IESBL - Thanks, it is in fact a sticky subject. That is why I asked. We are practicing twice a week, and games are on Sat. First game is the 15th of Sept. We have very light practices all Fall because we KNOW they are still playing travel ball, etc. Just concerned about the players...

I did talk about health and over use concerns in a very non-biased fashion to the players and parents. I will just leave it at that.

If two are under doctor's order to not throw and another is seeking doctor advice, you don' t have to point out to the parents where the problem is. They already know. If I were you, I'd mention to the parents that you are trying to be proactive and not add to the problem so their sons are not throwing in your program. In doing so, the conversation could give you an opportunity to ask questions and give an opinion. JMHO!

I’m curious about something. Why is it that no one endorses having their pitchers list what they’re doing on all the teams they play on so the coaches know? Is there some kind of fear that what they’d see would mean they have to admit something they don’t want to?

Thanks CoachB25, you are correct. No need to point any fingers or point anything out to the parents in a negative fashion towards any program.

I have taken your approach - The day before our first practice last week, the parent of a player approached us personally to let us know of doctors orders not to throw but wanted us to know they still wanted their player to participate in as much as possible (base running, hitting, chalk talk, etc.). We gave the parent the arm band, strength and conditioning, follow doctor’s orders speech. We moved on.


Next practice (practice #2 of season) - player two shows up. No throwing, doctors orders. Parent was frustrated. Gave the guy the pep talk... follow doctors orders, etc. Lots of other things to learn at practice other than just throwing.

Yesterday - Mom of a player emails. Another arm issue. Recommended she seek medical advice, I am not qualified to answer the questions she was asking. Said her sons arm has been sore for a month but was hoping "it would go away on its own".


I haven't voiced my "opinion" to anyone other than this board. And I probably won’t. You are correct, they probably already know.

Update - got to practice yesterday afternoon... player approaches, "hey coach my arm is sore is there anything I can do". I asked him why was his arm sore and he says he pitched in a game on Sunday for another team. He didn’t know how many pitches he threw. Told him to take it easy for the day, always run after pitching, always do a warm up stretch/run and cool down stretch/run, use ice. Told him to keep me updated.

Stats - We were posting at the same time. I will add that after the player approached me with a sore arm yesterday due to pitching, I talked to every player while they were stretching individually. I went to each one and asked, "Hey Jonny, what team are you playing for other than us, are you still playing, when is your next game, what postions(s) are you playing on that team?" I did that just so I would know... for my own sake. These kids can play for whatever team they want, I have no issues with TB, both of my own boys play TB. What I found interesting was about 30% of the players are on other teams, and playing, but didn’t tell us until we asked.

As I talked to each player, I gave them the "hey that’s cool, good luck with team XYZ tomorrow, let me know how it goes." Again, now I know who is playing and potentially pitching for other teams this fall.

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:
Stats - We were posting at the same time. I will add that after the player approached me with a sore arm yesterday due to pitching, I talked to every player while they were stretching individually. I went to each one and asked, "Hey Jonny, what team are you playing for other than us, are you still playing, when is your next game, what postions(s) are you playing on that team?" I did that just so I would know... for my own sake. These kids can play for whatever team they want, I have no issues with TB, both of my own boys play TB. What I found interesting was about 30% of the players are on other teams, and playing, but didn’t tell us until we asked.

As I talked to each player, I gave them the "hey that’s cool, good luck with team XYZ tomorrow, let me know how it goes." Again, now I know who is playing and potentially pitching for other teams this fall.

.

I doubt that any coach who has the brainpower superior to a rock doesn’t know when his players are playing for other teams or going to private coaches. That’s usually obvious, but coaches have ears too, and they certainly don’t live in a vacuum. But to me there’s a world of difference between knowing Joey plays for the Ugga Bugga Lightening, and knowing that he throws 100 pitches for them every week, and throws another 50-100 every week for his private coach too.

Its not as though parents and players don’t know they’re doing something considered “wrong”, because if they thought it was OK, they’d be blabbing about it all over the place. They just don’t want to admit that they know its wrong but still not only do it, but encourage it and keep it as secret as possible. The whole thing is just another reason why there’s so many arm problems, and it comes from the crazy belief that more is better and will get that player to the peak above all others.

Stats - your two paragraphs above contradict each other.

I agree with Para 2. Yes they hide it (you said it). Hence the need to ask...

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:
Stats - We were posting at the same time. I will add that after the player approached me with a sore arm yesterday due to pitching, I talked to every player while they were stretching individually. I went to each one and asked, "Hey Jonny, what team are you playing for other than us, are you still playing, when is your next game, what postions(s) are you playing on that team?" I did that just so I would know... for my own sake. These kids can play for whatever team they want, I have no issues with TB, both of my own boys play TB. What I found interesting was about 30% of the players are on other teams, and playing, but didn’t tell us until we asked.

As I talked to each player, I gave them the "hey that’s cool, good luck with team XYZ tomorrow, let me know how it goes." Again, now I know who is playing and potentially pitching for other teams this fall.

It sounds like you are taking the right approach. No reason why HS ball and TB cannot co-exist.

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:
Stats - your two paragraphs above contradict each other.

How so?