Anyone starting indoor baseball workouts?! As we move through February and into March, a lot of MBL players are finishing winter sports and transitioning back to baseball. It’s an exciting time, but coaches should be careful with their kids – particularly those who haven’t thrown a baseball in several months. We caught up with Jamie Eggleston of Macalester College and Pitcher Perfect Baseball Academy for some tips on how to handle getting back into baseball shape ahead of another fun season of games and tournaments on the ball field.
MBL:
We have a lot of MBL players just getting back into youth baseball now as winter sports come to a close. Many haven’t thrown since last fall or even summer. What are some things for coaches and parents to think about as they get back to baseball?
Coach Eggleston:
The key is, obviously, don’t overdo it with young kids. I always start with some simple throwing drills and then ramp up. You really don’t need to throw too far or throw too much. Try and get on a routine, throwing maybe every third day and slowly build that up.
MBL:
Many youth coaches might have one indoor practice per week for maybe a six-week period leading up to the season. What advice would you have for them in terms of throwing?
Coach Eggleston:
Throwing one time per week is not enough to get your arm ready. There’s not as much concern for the REALLY young kids, but everyone else should be looking at throwing three times per week. Find a space inside, a school gym, whatever you’ve got. If they’re practicing once a week at a facility, find a way to play catch two other times.
MBL:
Is anything different for kids who are pitchers?
Coach Eggleston:
Once your arm is ramped up, we want to get pitchers on the mound once per week. You can throw three times per week, but we want you on the mound once. For the kids who haven’t done any baseball activity, I would get two weeks of throwing in, three times per week, and then start getting one mound session in per week.
MBL: What should these mound sessions look like?
Coach Eggleston:
At the start, you’re probably not more than about 20 pitches. And then about every week, maybe add 10. Once you get up to about 50, you’re probably in a good spot, and then at that point, again, it depends on age. Younger kids probably would never need to go more than 40 or 50. In the beginning, start with about 20, do that for two outings and then maybe add 10 and do that for two outings. Build up slowly.
MBL: Should kids be trying to just throw strikes? Locate? Different pitches?
Coach Eggleston:
All you want to do is throw strikes. That’s another problem I see today. People make it so complicated. For the youth pitchers the only focus should be throwing strikes.
MBL:
Any guidance for coaches and parents regarding sore arms? Are there certain phrases or common complaints that are more serious than others?
Coach Eggleston:
The most common thing you’re going to get is, it’s kind of the bicep. Upper arm. That’s a strain. That’s truly what a classic sore arm is. This case is where they haven’t been throwing, they throw a lot and now that muscle is sore. But that’s the kind of thing that can stick with them. I’ve seen this with young players, so we need to be careful. If a player is complaining about pain in the elbow, that can be a little more serious. Pain in the elbow means we need to stop throwing. Maybe take a week off, then try again and see how it feels. If there’s still discomfort, the player should talk to medical personnel.