Quote:
Originally posted by Kurt V
As for pitching, I would not recommend it for ANY kid. I pitched baseball in the old Babe Ruth league and hated the stress and the pain in my arm and shoulder after every game. Took most of the fun out of playing. The coaches are even worse now, trying to play their best pitcher game after game. They have changed the rules around here limiting the number of pitches a pitcher can throw in any one game before the pitcher has to be removed from the game.
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The sore arm/shoulder is why I emphasize the learning of proper mechanics right from the start. One of my rules is, "Any pain must be reported immediately".
It takes a special kid to be a pitcher. They have to be able to take the stress of being in the spotlight and performing. They have to be able to take defeat and come back strong the next game...or even the next batter. Every pitch is a battle against the batter...you win or lose. They have to have a bit of swagger and a strong mindset.
Yes, I have coached against coaches as you have mentioned about the burnt out pitchers. I put in place pitch counts for my pitchers years ago. I always used one of the other pitchers or whomever was left on the bench to keep the stats and make the observations. It kept them more involved and helped them learn the game even better. Every year is the same, no one wants to do it to start with, then after a while they all want to do it.
I have made up a couple of Word docs on pitching thoughts for 12 and under kids and a ball/strike pitch count and comments Word doc also. You can send me an email to
mitch_mcl@yahoo.com if you want me to forward the attachments.
P.S....no breaking balls until 14+ years old. Learn to throw a well located strike and a change up and you can always pitch.