Spring Training

April 05, 2007

Baseball - it's America's favorite pastime. Every year, there are over 8 million children over the age of 6 who play the sport. It's one thing to know WHEN to sign your child up to play and another to enjoy a successful season. Dr. Mom has some tips on how to keep your child in the game.

Approximately 8.6 million children between the ages of 6 and 17 years old participate in the sport of baseball. Baseball is the second most commonly played team sport in the country. It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 acute baseball injuries every year in 5 to 14 year old children. Injuries range from "little league elbow" (overuse injury), base-running injuries, to ball-related injuries. Injuries can occur not only during games but during warm-up periods as well.

Signs of overuse injury for a child who throws repetitively:

• Elbow pain during or after throwing
• Swelling in the elbow
• Tenderness in the elbow
• Decrease in throwing performance

If you notice any of these signs in your athlete, have this investigated by your health care provider.

What can be done to help prevent injuries?

• Good fitness and conditioning
  • Getting the right nutrition and rest
  • Training for strength and endurance
• Proper mechanics and skill for the sport
  • Devote time in practice to learning and developing all the specific skills to give each player a depth of skill ability
• Follow Little League rules for pitching frequency
  • The best pitchers with the longest careers are ones who did not overuse their arms while growing up
  • Avoid pitching before 8 years of age.
  • Throw no curve balls before 14 years of age
  • Limit the number of pitches per week
• Use safety equipment
  • Helmets
  • Breakaway bases
  • Shin guards
  • Eye shields
  • Mouth guards

Because children grow and mature at different rates, it is difficult to know when to involve them in a sport; but experts agree that when a child shows interest in a sport and has fun playing it, they are ready.