TBS-USA contributor Dr Mike Marshall on Biological Age!
We prepared this article in response to the reports of a sickening injury of a 15U pitcher. He had snapped of a breaking ball and fell to his knees in tears. The umpire and catcher reported hearing the pop. He suffered a severe injury that required Tommy John surgery. Hopefully, parents, coaches and players will take a close look at this. We would hate to see anyone youth player face surgery, or end up having multiple surgeries later in life. You blow out your arm that's it! Game over! Parents need to be more vigilant.
The first thing that everybody needs to know about their youth baseball pitchers is: what is their biological age?
If everybody knows their biological age, then they can better understand whether their success or failure is a result of accelerated or delayed biological maturation rather than mastering skills.
Also, with X-rays taken within on week of their birthdays from chronological ten years old until all the growth plates in their elbows mature, to see whether baseball pitching is adversely affecting the growth plates, they can at least annually compare the development of those growth plates.
Further, when parents and youth baseball pitchers understand how their growth plates develop, they will understand that, when they have soreness in their growth plate, the only cure is to stop stressing them until they are more mature. This is the same remedy that doctors use
for Osgood Schlatter's Disease, which occurs on the front of the lower leg in youth basketball players.
Dr. Marshalls recommendations -
01. We need to know the biological ages of youth baseball pitchers.
02. Until they are biological sixteen years old, the age at which all
growth plates in the elbow mature, youth baseball pitchers should not
pitch competitively for more than two consecutive months.
03. Until they are biologically thirteen years old, the age at which
the growth plates at the elbow end of the Humerus bone mature, youth
baseball pitchers should not pitch competitively at all.
04. Between when they are biologically thirteen years old and sixteen
years old, youth baseball pitchers should not pitch more than one inning
per game twice a week.
05. To remove all unnecessary stress from their pitching arm and master
the skills required to throw the wide variety of pitches that they will
need to pitch at their highest level, before they pitch competitively,
all youth baseball pitchers should complete my First, Second, Third and
Fourth 60-Day Youth Baseball Pitchers Motor Skill Acquisition Programs.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mike Marshall
www.TravelBallSelect.com
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