Workouts

Well see, we aren't that far apart. 

11-13 is when I saw the most injuries. 3 catchers having surgery, 2 hips just tearing away from the bone, and 2 kids in a full arm up to shoulder cast because they screwed up their growth plate.  At least 5 of those kids had been doing stregth training since third grade, the other two I didn't know that well. I also saw a 12 year old blow out his arm on the mound at Lakepoint, he was from TX and was pitching 75, didn't know him either, but injuries at that age were just life altering and very scary.  

I was fortunate in that my son was an early bloomer, he was shaving at 13, but in my opinion he was better served by speed and agility teaching him to learn his new body than lifting weights.  He grew 12 inches in 13 months, he was 6'2 at age 14.  Every part of his body was already stretching so quickly I was worried about any additional stress, plus he's also "that kid" who sees Bubba squatting 300#'s and wants to give it a try. 

Overall I have no regrets.  For anyone not shaving yet, my very unqualified opinion, is to do speed and agility rather than strength training. Speed and agility allowed my son to learn how to move his body so that when he all of a sudden had tall lean legs he knew how to use them (love zztop)!  I'll admit for awhile he looked like a newborn giraffe, and he banged into more than a few walls, but it all worked out. He is a very athletic kid who throws and hits faster than most so he's a happy guy.

Here is a couple of interesting abstracts/articles on this topic. My soon to be 13yo son does S&C program from Driveline's HTKC youth (6 lb med ball throws, push ups, pull ups/holds, and squats with 10 lbs weights). I am also looking at basic lifting program (Rippetoe's Starting Strength) in the winter.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17119361

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...r31-1941738109334215

Midwest Mom posted:

3and2 is right. Too many kids lifting too early and get hurt - really hurt where recurring injuries happen. I see it a lot. And also a watch out - the high school lifting programs tend to be targeted for football players. Baseball player strength training is different (of course some kids play football too and that's a different story). I'm sure others can weigh in on this issue of weight/strength training for baseball. 

2019 Son's high school currently has football style weight lifting program and he doesn't want to do it.  He works with an outside trainer.  Should he tell the HC and see if he can get out of the team workouts?  Would that affect his chances to make the team?  I know it depends on the school and the coach but any insights appreciated.

nonomimi5 posted:

Midwest Mom posted:

3and2 is right. Too many kids lifting too early and get hurt - really hurt where recurring injuries happen. I see it a lot. And also a watch out - the high school lifting programs tend to be targeted for football players. Baseball player strength training is different (of course some kids play football too and that's a different story). I'm sure others can weigh in on this issue of weight/strength training for baseball. 

2019 Son's high school currently has football style weight lifting program and he doesn't want to do it.  He works with an outside trainer.  Should he tell the HC and see if he can get out of the team workouts?  Would that affect his chances to make the team?  I know it depends on the school and the coach but any insights appreciated.

There is something to be said for team bonding.  However, of it were me, I would have him tell the coach "Coach I'm working on some pretty specific things that are issues with my body with an outside trainer and I'm worried my body can't take the overload of the team workout on top of what I'm doing, what do you suggest?"

if he's a half way decent coach he just wants to know the kids are working out and he won't make son do the double workouts.  If he does the trainer will have to work other parts of his body and stay away from what the HS coach already covered.

nonomimi5 posted:

Midwest Mom posted:

3and2 is right. Too many kids lifting too early and get hurt - really hurt where recurring injuries happen. I see it a lot. And also a watch out - the high school lifting programs tend to be targeted for football players. Baseball player strength training is different (of course some kids play football too and that's a different story). I'm sure others can weigh in on this issue of weight/strength training for baseball. 

2019 Son's high school currently has football style weight lifting program and he doesn't want to do it.  He works with an outside trainer.  Should he tell the HC and see if he can get out of the team workouts?  Would that affect his chances to make the team?  I know it depends on the school and the coach but any insights appreciated.

Tough to give a definitive answer because potential consequences depend on the coach. Recommend you talk with other trusted parents and/or son talks with fellow players and see if coach has a history with players wanting to train outside of team program. My guess is that he won't be a big fan and that if your son chooses to do so anyway, it could impact chances of making it if he is a bubble player. IMO, safest bet is to have outside trainer work around HS program. Good trainer will find plenty of ways to work around HS program and use corrective exercises if HS program does poor job of balancing push pull exercises. IMO, the keys are to make sure the trainer is always getting detailed info on HS workout and balance the two training programs so that your son does not over train. In my experience, over training injuries are very rare unless the athlete is not communicating with trainer or trainer is ignorant and does not consider other training sessions. 

nonomimi5 posted:

Midwest Mom posted:

3and2 is right. Too many kids lifting too early and get hurt - really hurt where recurring injuries happen. I see it a lot. And also a watch out - the high school lifting programs tend to be targeted for football players. Baseball player strength training is different (of course some kids play football too and that's a different story). I'm sure others can weigh in on this issue of weight/strength training for baseball. 

2019 Son's high school currently has football style weight lifting program and he doesn't want to do it.  He works with an outside trainer.  Should he tell the HC and see if he can get out of the team workouts?  Would that affect his chances to make the team?  I know it depends on the school and the coach but any insights appreciated.

My son got a baseball specific workout written for him then took it to the trainer and coach and got permission to do that workout. He did it during the regular workout sessions, so coach could see he was there and what he was doing. Once his teammates saw what he was doing, a few of them started doing his workout as well.

Maybe ask his outside trainer to write something for your son to do during those sessions? Son's HC saw him as a team leader who literally played every inning last season, so we felt like it was important to the coach and to the rest of the team to see my son in there earning his spot.