Skip to main content

I would just like to get someone's opinion on this.  My son, a sophomore, is a Pitcher/Utility player for his high school JV team.  During the first week of workouts he experienced some elbow pain while pitching, but attributed it to early season soreness and treated it with ice.  The pain continued throughout tryouts, then more during the first few weeks of practice.  He tried resting for a few days a couple times but the pain immediately returned upon throwing.  He also stopped throwing curveballs, but that didn't alleviate the problem.   So I took him to a local pediatric sports medicine doctor.  She diagnosed tendinitis of the triceps where it joins the elbow and told him to stop throwing for a few weeks and to begin a physical therapy program, then see her again in one month.  He is in his 3rd week of PT and has begun to hit in practice and also throw about 50% every few days with no setbacks yet, so all appears to be on schedule.

 

But he's starting to get some flak from his coach.  Throughout the last couple weeks my son said the coach has made comments like "we need to get you back out there soon" and "when are you going to try getting back out there"?  We asked his therapists if he should see the doc earlier for release, but the recommendation is not to push it and risk losing part or most of summer season, too.  He also said go ahead and start hitting plus the light throwing.  My son has relayed this to the coach, so he is aware of it.  But last night, in front of most of the team, he called him out on it, saying he should have been ready by now.  He also bluntly asked another player, whose dad is a physician, what he thinks his dad would say about it.  The player of course had no answer, but it really embarrassed my son even though some of the other kids later said they supported him and not to let it bother him.

 

But it kind of bothers me.  Are we being overcautious? I know the coach wants to get him on the field and my son is anxious to play, too.  My feelings are to get the PT program complete and not push it by playing too soon and risking further injury.  We're about 8 days from return to the doctor, but maybe he should get going – just to get the coach off his back - and deal with it later if the injury flares up again.  He is getting anxious to play, and there is only about a month left in the season.   Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

BB welcome to the site. I would follow the doc's instructions and have your son let the coach know that. When the coach gets his PHD in sports medicine he can then begin to make his diagnosis. Your son is a sophomore, and has plenty of time to get noticed/play time. Arm injuries are serious. Be thankful that your son has more sense then his coach and let you know of the soreness.

HS baseball means nothing in the process of getting recruited. Arm health means everything! Good luck!   

Welcome to the site!

 

If your goal is to make this case of tendonitis last all year, go ahead and let the coach rush your kid back into action every time the symptoms ease a little bit.  

 

We had an excellent trainer at our high school.  Two things he said made particular sense in situations like this:

1) Never predict a player's return to action more than 24 hours in advance.  Even if you know the normal course of recovery for a given injury, you never know how the recovery will proceed in any individual case.  Just keep following the program laid out by the physical therapist or other competent person each day and don't try to guess at time lines.

2) When a player is injured, he doesn't play again until the doctor, the trainer, the coach, the player, and the parent all agree he's ready.  Only the coach has the authority to put him back  in, but each of the others holds veto authority. 

 

Stand your ground.

 

Best wishes, 

 

Let me see.  Sophmore.  JV team.  Tendinitis.  About a week left of rehab. 

 

Your "coach" is a tool. 

 

As an old guy, I would tell him to ____ off.  Can't do that for your kid though.  I would encourage your kid to keep working the rehab program and follow the doctor's course of action.  He'll need to bite his tongue and hopefully never play for this tool again.  Good luck.   

Thanks all for the welcome and the advice.  It pretty much confirms what we've been thinking and planning all along.  PT said same thing - why ruin full summer season for two weeks of Spring ball?    ANd I think this coach in particular is not sticking to what school usually does.  THey do have a good training staff that has been overseeing his school workouts (in addition to bi-weekly PT at local health facility).  And they want to see him released by a doctor before they give the go-ahead.  I have a feeling if I go to the Varsity head coach with it he might have some discussion with the JV coach.  THe more I think about it the more I like that idea!  

Originally Posted by Golfman25:

 

Your "coach" is a tool. 

 


True.  Do not go back to playing until the doctor gives you the go ahead.  I don't think I would go to the varsity coach.  You're just going to stir up a hornets nest.  Let the JV coach say what he wants and have your son let the JV coach know that as soon as he is ready, he will be more than happy to do everything he needs to help the team. 

 

Until that time, encourage your son to be confident that he is doing the right thing.  Tendonitis, while not as serious as something like a UCL injury, can become an extended nagging injury.  If you don't take care of it the first time, your son may finding himself sitting out for 2-4 months until it gets better. 

Originally Posted by BBDadOH:

 I have a feeling if I go to the Varsity head coach with it he might have some discussion with the JV coach.  THe more I think about it the more I like that idea!  

I highly recommend NOT taking this course of action. Simply listen to the doctor's orders, continue to work hard and move on. 

Originally Posted by J H:
Originally Posted by BBDadOH:

 I have a feeling if I go to the Varsity head coach with it he might have some discussion with the JV coach.  THe more I think about it the more I like that idea!  

I highly recommend NOT taking this course of action. Simply listen to the doctor's orders, continue to work hard and move on. 

Concur.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×