“Specialization and “professionalism” are leading to a spike in youth injuries

Specialization leads to playing the sport year-round. That means not only an increase in risk factors for traumatic injuries but a sky-high increase in overuse injuries. Almost half of sports injuries in adolescents stem from overuse.

 

Professionalism is taking these kids at a young age and trying to work them as if they are pro athletes, in terms of training and year-round activity. Some can do it, like Tiger Woods. He was treated like a professional golfer when he was 4, 5, 6 years old. But you’ve got to realize that Tiger Woods is a special case. A lot of these kids don’t have the ability to withstand that type of training and that type of parental/coach pressure.

 

The whole youth sports system has gotten out of control

 

The systems out there in youth sports, particularly travel ball, have been important financial resources for the people who run them. Parents spend a fortune keeping their kids in a year-round sport, with travel and everything else. What’s happening is, the tail is wagging the dog. The systems are calling the shots: If your son or daughter doesn’t play my sport year-round, he or she can’t play for me. Never mind that your kid is 12 — I need year-round dedication.

 

Simply giving kids a little bit of a break could prevent most of these injuries

 

Kids need at least two months off each year to recover from a specific sport. Preferably, three to four months. Example: youth baseball. For at least two months, preferably three to four months, they don’t need to do any kind of overhead throwing, any kind of overhead sport, and let the body recover in order to avoid overuse situations. That’s why we’re seeing so many Tommy John procedures, which is an adult operation designed for professionals. In my practice now, 30 to 40 percent of the ones I’m doing are on high-schoolers, even down to ages 12 or 13. They’re already coming in with torn ligaments.

 

Give them time off to recover. Please. Give them time to recover.

 

Alabama-based surgeon to the stars pleads with parents to give young athletes a break - Yellowhammer News

Dr Andrews has been preaching this for years, as well as any other ortho you speak to. Bodies need proper recovery time.

Agree with the overemphasis on specialization as kids get younger and younger.

I've been preaching this for years too. We have too much everything right now.

I totally agree with this. When I coached, I encouraged my players to play other sports, they were a lot better conditioned when my sport came around than some that I worked with in the off season. I miss the days of when a sport was in season, that is what you would play.

Dr. Andrews released a pitch counter app earlier this year that shows the maximum number of pitches per age and the appropriate amount of rest needed after pitching.

 

Dr. James Andrews behind app aiming to limit Tommy John surgeries - ESPN

I totally agree with her on every count. Parents looking for a college scholarship is the main driver behind a lot of this specialization IMO...and it is sad. When my daughters played VB, I saw girls specializing when they were in 5th grade - playing nothing but VB. My wife and I encouraged both our daughters to play everything (BB, softball, soccer). One ended up playing at the small college level and continued her love for VB. So many kids that specialize in one sport end up looking at it as a chore eventually, not as something fun...sad actually.

I totally agree with her on every count. Parents looking for a college scholarship is the main driver behind a lot of this specialization IMO...and it is sad. When my daughters played VB, I saw girls specializing when they were in 5th grade - playing nothing but VB. My wife and I encouraged both our daughters to play everything (BB, softball, soccer). One ended up playing at the small college level and continued her love for VB. So many kids that specialize in one sport end up looking at it as a chore eventually, not as something fun...sad actually.

 

Him...James Andrews. Agree with everything else said.

Maybe part of the problem is that the cost of college is too high and for many, they see sports as their only way up, or in some cases, out of the situation they are in.

 

I pitched baseball from 10 years on. During my eigth-grade season, I started having pains in my elbow. Also, I was growing fast, and I was having achilles pain when I ran. Coaches back then, or at least my coaches, didn't spend any time on stretching or even listening to you if you said something hurt which one basically didn't do. It caused me to walk away from sports for two years (except golf). Luckily, I guess, no one pushed me other than my peers. I didn't resume playing baseball and football until my junior year in high school, and the two years of rest, while maybe putting me behind conditioning wise, helped me to heal so I continued on into pitching in college. Elbow problems again in my sophomore year cut that short. Of course, I was probably never good enough for anyone to care if I played or not, but I am glad I stopped before my arm was completely shot.

For the record, if monitored properly throughout the entire calendar year, I completely disagree with most pitch count models for high school kids.

The sad thing is that by specializing at a young age, you actually hurt your chances of getting a scholarship IMO. When really young, it is hard to know which sport is best for you or which one you will like the most. When in grade school, how do you know how tall you will end up being? We all know grade school superstars who simply stopped growing and got passed up when they were in HS. I saw girls who concentrated on VB who ended up being 5'5". Not many scholarships for girl that height in VB - some but not many. Now if those girls, who were decent athletes, also played soccer or softball, who knows, they may have gotten a scholarship in those sports where height is not that big a deal.

 

The injury thing is a big factor too. Any good doctor will tell you that you have to get away from your sport for a period of time. Your body cannot stand the pounding of one sport all year round.

Take Lorenzo Cain of the Royals - ALCS MVP, 3 hitter, Center Fielder - for example. The kid is playing professional baseball right now because he got cut from the basketball team as a sophomore and his mother didn't want him to play football.

 

If your kid is good enough, he/she will be found!

 

I work with a guy whose kid is 9 and played right around 100 games this summer, did fall ball, and they are already going to the cages. I don't see how it's helping the kid at this stage in his life.

Edited October 30, 201411 yr by Capernicus41

For the record, if monitored properly throughout the entire calendar year, I completely disagree with most pitch count models for high school kids.

 

So you are okay with year round throwing programs?

So you are okay with year round throwing programs?

 

I could go on for days but here is the short version. There is a difference between throwing and pitching. I believe kids don't throw enough. I also firmly believe kids need to proper rest, not only between pitching performances but also in the off-season. Throw enough, not pitch.

Some thoughts from Eric Cressey. I'll trust his opinion. Has over 100 guys in MLB systems, including Tim Collins from the Royals who just pitched in the World Series.

 

7 Reasons Baseball Pitchers Shouldn't Do Year-Round Throwing Programs - Part 1 | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training

7 Reasons Baseball Pitchers Shouldn't Do Year-Round Throwing Programs - Part 2 | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training

 

For those that don't want to read both parts i'll paste his closing remarks below.

 

Closing Thoughts

 

The lack of downtime from throwing is especially problematic in younger populations, as they are skeletally immature and weaker. I’d argue that a really weak 15-year-old kid throwing 74-76 mph does far more damage to his body on each throw than a moderately strong professional player throwing 90-92 mph, especially given that the pro pitcher’s mechanics are more optimized to protect the arm. This underscores the importance of "syncing up" mechanics, throwing programs, and the overall baseball strength and conditioning program.

 

Last, but certainly not least, remember that two weeks doesn't constitute "time off." Rather, I firmly believe that pitchers need the ball completely out of their hands for at least two month per year, preferably continuously. In other words, eight one-week breaks throughout the year is far from ideal, as it doesn't really allow for positive adaptations to occur.