Itasca Athletic Association: I A A News

The I.A.A. needs the help of ALL coach's and parents limiting the number of pitches our children throw. Medical workers increasingly see young baseball pitchers who've hurt their shoulders by pitching too much. Some of the problem can be addressed by correcting improper throwing mechanics, such as rotating the body to open too soon, or dropping the elbow below shoulder level. Pitchers should not throw breaking balls until puberty, generally about age 13. In any case, it's important for baseball coaches to limit the amount of throwing young pitchers do. This year, Little League is instituting a program to limit the number of pitches each player throws. Softball pitchers with high pitch counts also get hurt more, but similar guidelines have not been set. Here are baseball pitching guidelines from the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Al. A program of exercises for pitchers shoulders is at  ( www.asmi.org.)

Age ..............Maximun pitches

9-10..............50/game, 75/week, 1,000/season

11-12............75/game, 100/week, 1,000/season

13-14............75/game, 125/week, 1,000/season

15-16............91/game, two games/week

17-18............106/game, two games/week