Login
Register
LittleLeague.org
Rulebook App
Training
LLWS
Official Store
Home
About MLL
Welcome Message
Program Information
MLL Board Directory
Opening Day
Closing Day/Awards
Parents
Levels of Play
Softball Levels of Play
Intermediate (50/70)
Challenger
FAQs
Team Central
All-Stars
2023 McLean Little League D4 Schedule
2022 All-Stars
Team Directory
View Scores
Calendar
View Standings
Safety Policies
For Managers
Lightning Policy
REGISTER NOW!
Financial Aid & Refund Requests
Refund Request Form
McLean Little League Boundary Finder
Support MLL
Volunteer
Be an Umpire
Be a Sponsor
Support Our Sponsors
Donations
How to Make a Donation
Fundraisers
2023 BAT-A-THON
Annual Terry Mahony Golf Tournament
Store
Website Manager
Login
Register
LittleLeague.org
Rulebook App
Training
LLWS
Official Store
McLean Little League
Login
Register
Home
About MLL
Welcome Message
Program Information
MLL Board Directory
Opening Day
Closing Day/Awards
Parents
Levels of Play
Softball Levels of Play
Intermediate (50/70)
Challenger
FAQs
Team Central
All-Stars
2023 McLean Little League D4 Schedule
2022 All-Stars
Team Directory
View Scores
Calendar
View Standings
Safety Policies
For Managers
Lightning Policy
REGISTER NOW!
Financial Aid & Refund Requests
Refund Request Form
McLean Little League Boundary Finder
Support MLL
Volunteer
Be an Umpire
Be a Sponsor
Support Our Sponsors
Donations
How to Make a Donation
Fundraisers
2023 BAT-A-THON
Annual Terry Mahony Golf Tournament
Store
News Detail
<
Back to Home
1
Mar, 2023
Get Ready for the Upcoming Season Now
Kids Need Spring Training Too
By Matt Austin
Major League Baseball began spring training a couple of weeks ago. For baseball and softball lovers, it is one of the most exciting times of the year because it means the new season is right around the corner! Spring training provides an opportunity for MLB players to “dust the cobwebs off,” get their bodies and minds ready for the season, and slowly ramp up into game-like conditions under the warm sun and palm trees.
Unfortunately, in McLean Little League, we are lucky if we have a couple of weeks of practices before the kids jump into the spring season. We ask kids to go from minimal or no baseball or softball activity for several months to full-speed game action in a matter of days. The “on ramp” to the season looks more like a vertical wall to climb. This is less than ideal particularly when it comes to preparing our kids’ young arms to throw and pitch and can increase the risk of arm injuries.
As parents and coaches, it is critical that we are smart and deliberate about how we ramp up our kids’ throwing and get our pitchers ready for the season. They need a spring training too (although we will have to do without the palm trees). Here are a few approaches to take a spring training-like approach to preparing our kids for the season ahead:
Start Throwing NOW: It takes time to build strength and conditioning in pitchers’ arms, especially after a few months off (which should be encouraged for every Little Leaguer). Professional, college, and high school pitchers have throwing programs that slowly build up the quantity and intensity of throws over several weeks or months. With the season less than a month away, it is critical to have our kids start throwing now with a goal of throwing at least three times a week. We have been lucky enough to have some very warm weather this month, so grab your gloves and a ball and go play catch. MLB and USA Baseball put out a 4-week preseason throwing progression for Little League-aged kids (linked here), which provides a great framework on how to ramp up throwing in a smart way.
Treat the First Month of the Season Like Spring Training: No matter how much a pitcher has ramped up his or her throwing as part of a throwing program or other off-season training, pitching in a game is a different level of intensity and strain on arms. As you see in MLB spring training, professional pitchers who have been training for months start with very low pitch counts in spring training games and slowly increase those pitch counts over several weeks. It is important that we don’t ask our kids to immediately come in and start throwing at or near their maximum pitch counts, but start with shorter outings and let them build over time. The MLL Board recently approved a rule change that lowers pitch limits for the first couple of weeks of the season, which is a great step in the right direction, but it is up to managers and parents to go even further and be very deliberate about managing in-game workloads of our pitchers’ early in the season, especially for those players that also play on travel teams. While competitive pressures may push managers to “ride their ace,” it is better for the health of the player and for our players reaching peak performance for the City Series and All-Stars to treat the first month of the season like our spring training.
Focus on Arm Care: Protecting young arms requires more than just ramping up slowly and managing workload, it requires a strong focus on arm care. This means properly warming up to throw (not throwing to warm up, as we often see in youth baseball and softball), increasing the strength and stability of arms, and providing for sufficient recovery and rest. I will get more into arm care in a later post, but this is a significant (if not primary) focus of the MLL Winter Baseball Pitching Clinic. One of the most important tools for arm care used at all levels of baseball is the J-Band (linked here). I encourage all pitchers in MLL (actually everyone who throws a baseball or softball) to use J-Bands as part of their warm-up and in between throwing sessions throughout the season to build up their arm strength and resiliency. It only takes about 5-10 minutes and is highly valuable in maintaining arm health. Linked here is a video of some J-Band exercises we use as part of the pitching clinic, which would be a good place to start.
While MLL baseball and softball games are still a few weeks away, the players should be ramping up now. We can’t offer 80 degrees and palm trees, but we can give them what they need – a spring training of their own.
Local Sponsors
<
>
McLean Little League
1836 Westmoreland St
McLean, Virginia 22101
Phone:
703-000-0000
Email:
[email protected]
LITTLE LEAGUE
®
International
PlayLittleLeague.org
League Age Calculator
Rules and Regulations
Little League Data Center
Emails from Little League International
Little League Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 McLean Little League
|
Privacy Statement
|
Terms Of Use
|
License Agreement
|
Children's Privacy Policy
Login
Our terms now include the
License Agreement
. By continuing to use our Services you agree to all terms.