The Road to Varsity: Lessons from Little League

Buying Baseballs

A regulation ball is 9 inches around and weighs approximately 5 ounces. Many leagues use safety or "RIF" (reduced injury factor) baseballs, at least in T-ball and the lower "minor" leagues. Because safety baseballs are softer than regular youth baseballs, they don't hurt as much when they hit a player.

Youth Baseball Injuries Are Common But Few Require Surgery

Although baseball is not considered a contact sport, players suffer a large number of injuries. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, almost 400,000 children ages 5 through 14 years are injured playing baseball each year. While a recent survey found that 25% of baseball players ages 5 to 14 had been injured playing baseball, a three-year study of high school athletes in ten sports by the National Athletic Trainers Association found that baseball actually had the lowest injury rate of the sports studied.

Pain-Free Pitching: Former MLB Athletic Trainer’s Tips For Shoulder Care

It's not just professional baseball players who need to worry about shoulder injuries. They can affect the well-being and enjoyment of children and youth who play recreational baseball as well. A former MLB head athletic trainer offers advice to young players on shoulder health.

Reducing Weight of Baseball May Increase Risk Of Injury To Youth Baseball Pitchers

Using a lighter baseball would not significantly increase batted-ball impact injuries to position players in youth baseball, but would likely increase such injuries to pitchers, suggests a first-of-its-kind study.

Counting Pitches Can Save Young Players' Arms But Not Always Used Consistently

Guidelines on how many pitches young athletes should throw have been developed to stem the tide of overuse injuries, but many coaches are not following the recommendations consistently, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2014 National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego.

Most Food and Beverage Consumed At Youth Baseball Games Unhealthy, Study Finds

High-calorie snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages dominate the concession stand menus at youth baseball games, finds a new observational study, contributing to unhealthy dietary practices for children and adults.

Atlanta Medical Group Proposes Sport-Specific Return-to-Play Guidelines

Four years after the American Academy of Pediatrics adopted the recommended return-to-play (RTP) guidelines proposed by the Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHA) has proposed sport-specific guidelines for ten sports known to put young athletes at the highest risk for concussion.

Throwing Injuries No Longer Just for the Pros

Year-round sport, with the addition of numerous leagues, travel teams, showcase events and other opportunities for youth to play baseball outside of school, has contributed to a 10-fold increase in Tommy John surgery in the last decade, says an alarming new study.

Barbara Bleiweis

The Road to Varsity: Lessons from Little League

Submitted by Barbara Bleiweis on Mon, 09/23/2013 - 15:14. | comments

My relocation to North Carolina temporarily disrupted my officiating schedule. With membership into a new association pending, I needed to find a way to work on my game during the summer and fall without the benefit of regularly scheduled summer basketball. Tennis provided an excellent venue for physical preparation. Tennis, like basketball requires fitness, quickness, teamwork and stamina. But while tennis helped with the physical game, it was watching Little League baseball, more than anything else, that helped the most with the mental side of basketball officiating.

A high school basketball official prepares for the upcoming season by learning valuable lessons on the mental aspects of sports by watching the fun 10-year-olds have playing Little League baseball.

Young Pitchers Should Start Season or Return From Injury By Throwing From Flat Ground Before Mound, Study Says

Pitching from a mound causes increased stress on the shoulder and elbow of adolescent pitchers as compared with that from flat ground finds a new study, which recommends that pitchers begin their season or return from injury or surgery by starting their pitching progression on flat ground before progressing to the mound.

Baseball

Buying Baseballs

Youth Baseball Injuries Are Common But Few Require Surgery

Pain-Free Pitching: Former MLB Athletic Trainer’s Tips For Shoulder Care

Reducing Weight of Baseball May Increase Risk Of Injury To Youth Baseball Pitchers

Counting Pitches Can Save Young Players' Arms But Not Always Used Consistently

Most Food and Beverage Consumed At Youth Baseball Games Unhealthy, Study Finds

Atlanta Medical Group Proposes Sport-Specific Return-to-Play Guidelines

Throwing Injuries No Longer Just for the Pros

The Road to Varsity: Lessons from Little League

Young Pitchers Should Start Season or Return From Injury By Throwing From Flat Ground Before Mound, Study Says

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