Son just returned from his 1st overnight camp...great experience at a AAA Facility. They did some testing with the kids, and he threw 56 mph at age 10. Is that a decent speed for his age?
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quote:Originally posted by turnin2:
Son just returned from his 1st overnight camp...great experience at a AAA Facility. They did some testing with the kids, and he threw 56 mph at age 10. Is that a decent speed for his age?
quote:
Originally posted by turnin2:
Son just returned from his 1st overnight camp...great experience at a AAA Facility. They did some testing with the kids, and he threw 56 mph at age 10. Is that a decent speed for his age?
quote:Originally posted by YoungGunDad:
I give up.
Good luck to both of you.
YGD
quote:Originally posted by YoungGunDad:
Ok. I'm picking my flag up off the ground to chime in once more.
I don't think anyone is saying throwing hard is a bad thing nor that pitching at an early age is either. It's just that a Dad's focus for a young pitcher should be on proper mechanics, having fun, and one more I will add...making sure your son is not being over-used and/or "fatigued". Overuse of a young arm is a killer on arms. Thus the reasoning behind why the LL has a pitch count in place now. Kudos to them.
Don't believe me on fatigue? Ever heard of Dr. James Andrews? Read this: Fatigue the key risk
And one last thing. Your comment "if a young kid can pitch without joint and arm pain and doesn't over-pitch he will develop a much stronger and healthier arm" isn't exactly correct. A good long-toss program, various band work, and arm conditioning will develop a healthier arm. I know it may be semantics but I wanted to clarify that point.
If both of you are coaching your sons, then Im preaching to the choir about over-using your son in a season or worse...a year. But some over-zealous coaches see a kid who throws hard and next thing you know he's tossing the egg more than the others and helping get out of a pinch in a close game after tossing 65 pitches 2 nights before.
quote:Originally posted by Gingerbread Man:
There is nothing wrong with pitching at an early age or throwing hard at an early age.
quote:Originally posted by CADad:
However, in the past ASMI has done studies showing that throwing a curve increased the probability of elbow and shoulder pain, especially shoulder pain.
quote:They did some testing with the kids, and he threw 56 mph at age 10.
quote:“Is that a decent speed for his age?”
quote:Originally posted by TPM:
Tell me what pro team does not incorporate a throwing program into the pitchers training? It is not an option, the only option is how far you feel comfortable with throwing. Bullpens are done once between a starters start, nothing replaces a throwing program.
Do you think that youth programs are going to say that 8,9,10 year olds should pitch? When son was young they had coach pitch, you will not find that as often these days, I am sorry we began him at 8, because nothing counts, relly counts until you are loooking for that college schoarship or trying to get ahead in teh organization that drafted you and your shoulder or elbow blew out.
As far as stretching I did not say it was bad, I said over stretching is, once you stretch out to the max, the reversal is a long and sometimes fruitless process. Healthy active very young bodies don't need stretching, seems to me that your son has some issues, if the course of seeing doctors is to correct a problem that has nothing to do what someone else should do.
Sounds like your son is throwing a slurve, that's not a true curve and not a true slider, there is a seperate distinction in both, find out. Don't go touting your son throws CB's when he is not throwing a curveball. Most young players throw the slurve, it's safer.
If he continues to throw with his ARM, good luck.
I don't always agree with YB, but what he says about biological age makes sense, in relation to what I stated aobut the growth plates.
I am not inpressed with complete no game hitters, or win/loss records or ERA's for young pitchers, it means nothing in the long run. Tell us when he's past HS, it has a lot more meaning. Usually you will find those typs of players, you know the harder throwing ones getting everyone out, don't go very far.
quote:Originally posted by bballman:
GBM, I will not question whether or not what you are doing for and with your son is good or bad or whether it is best for him or not. I simply don't know your son or your situation. I will say that you speak with a lot of confidence that I don't think is well founded yet. Your son is only 14, so, quite frankly, you really don't know whether it will work in the long run or not. Yet you still talk like what you have done with him is what should be done.
quote:Originally posted by bballman:
GBM, I will not question whether or not what you are doing for and with your son is good or bad or whether it is best for him or not. I simply don't know your son or your situation. I will say that you speak with a lot of confidence that I don't think is well founded yet. Your son is only 14, so, quite frankly, you really don't know whether it will work in the long run or not. Yet you still talk like what you have done with him is what should be done.
Also, around here, mid 70's for a 14 year old is fairly common. Summer before my son's freshman year, he was throwing 82. Another kid at 13 and 14 was considered a hard thrower and threw about as hard as my son. At the same showcase between freshman and sophomore years, my son threw 86 and this kid threw 74. Everyone thought that kid had great mechanics. You really just don't ever know.
Another personal story. My son was like yours in that through 14 years old, he never got sore, seemingly never got tired. Once he turned 15 and started throwing in the mid 80's, he did start getting sore and had some minor elbow issues. I believe that part of that was a result of his velocity and quite frankly, part of it was from throwing too many curveballs. We cut WAY back on the CB's this summer and he has been fine - Arm wise and effectiveness wise. All this has nothing to do with size either. He has always been small for his age. Currently, he is 5'9" about 170 lbs. Has hit as high as 87 with his fastball and usually cruises between 84 and 86. He is going into his junior year.
I also think you need to take into account the competition your son faces. Sounds like he is playing rec league ball. If my son were playing there, he would have some no hitters and a ton of shut outs. He plays the highest level of competition available.
Anyway, bottom line is, I really don't think your son is old enough or experienced enough to know for sure whether what you are doing is going to work or not. Just don't think you should be so adamant about your theories until they can either be proven or disproven over time. There are a lot of people here who have seen much more than you. There are plenty of people here whose son's have made it to a much higher level than yours. You should really take into consideration what they say.
quote:Originally posted by TPM:quote:Originally posted by bballman:
GBM, I will not question whether or not what you are doing for and with your son is good or bad or whether it is best for him or not. I simply don't know your son or your situation. I will say that you speak with a lot of confidence that I don't think is well founded yet. Your son is only 14, so, quite frankly, you really don't know whether it will work in the long run or not. Yet you still talk like what you have done with him is what should be done.
I think that fairly sums it up for me too.
You said a college coach said your son's CB looked like a slider, you said it was a curve ball, well a curve ball is a curve ball and a slider is a slider. What was it that day? How about some video?
You know what, who really cares what anyone does at 14 other than the parent? I am sure you wouldn't care if I went into detail what son did at 14, how dominate he was, how hard he threw, it doesn't matter, who cares, heck I don't even care!