Too Competitive?

NW, I see that no one has answered you, so I'll take a shot and see if we can get this thread going. My son had growth plate issues (shoulder) and also is very competitive.

My guess is that you may indeed be trying too hard - overthrowing - to compensate for what you believe is a lack of physical tools, and putting too much pressure on your arm.

IMO, your arm is asking for some help from the rest of your body. Really learning to use your legs and core will make a huge difference. And lots and lots of core and leg work in the gym. This is what my son did - he worked very very hard in the gym on a baseball-specific program, and had a great coach who worked with him on his mechanics. He's only a part-time pitcher, but it made a huge difference in his velocity and (perhaps more important) his confidence.

Good luck!

Sorry to say there is no such thing as being "too competitive". You can hurt yourself by not being properly conditioned, or over throwing, or poor mechanics, or maybe some bad luck. If conditioning is an issue, get to the gym - start working out and start a good throwing program. (after you heal of course and see a Dr not a coach who can "guess" you)

I got to go with BOF, not sure that there is such a thing as being too competitive in relation to any injury.

Perhaps the coach just meant you were trying too hard, or doing too much (when your arm or body wasn't ready to), which I think happens when most injuries occur to young players.


Follow your doc's orders and then as suggested get yourself on a good conditioning and throwing program.

Particularly with pitchers, I've seen what I would call "max effort" guys. Everything goes into every pitch. Maybe this is what the coach was referring to.

How about we call being "too competitive" the "Brett Farve Syndrome"?

Being competitive is a mentality not something that will injure you physically. My guess is that you are trying to play to the best of your abilities, but your body isn't properly prepared. Work hard on your baseball training so that your body is ready for game day. Best of luck!