[JavaBrewer]

Agreed on the mechanics. I never played the game and as my son progressed through T-ball he was throwing side arm (like me). It took us a full season to break him of that style and now he's got a great arm. Save him the frustration and get him started with the right techniques. Fun is very important but if he stays in the game to 9+ you'll find that the pressure to win is unbelievable. Those utube videos and various movies about insane parents are actually spot on. We just completed a Memorial tournament and need more than two hands to count kids who were reduced to tears due to stress of failure - all of them pitchers. I hate it that my son can pitch...

Edit - if your son wants to pitch keep a strict count of his throws and pull him when he hits the limit regardless of what the team *needs*. Also forbid anything other than the fast ball and change up (off-speed) until he hits 12+ years.

Baseball is a great sport and my son loves it. There is a definite *bad* aspect to the sport but I guess that exists anywhere there is competition. Protect your son of bad people and never push him where he doesn't want to go. I've seen a ton of GREAT little players that will someday hate the sport and/or their parents because they we're pressured too hard.