By Sean Marohn, RSCC
The first step when working with any amateur athlete is to meet with the parents and athlete and discuss safe, age-appropriate, progressive strength training. Discussions should include topics such as current throwing programs, previous and current injuries, what other sports the athlete plays, interests, hobbies, etc. Once this information is obtained, realistic, personalized goals can be established.
I would like to point out that this article is focused on amateur athlete’s ages 15 years old and older. Amateur athletes ages 7 to 14 can follow the same time lines and periodization’s but the volume of weight training, throwing, and/or length of season should be adjusted according to the age and work load (multiple sports, multiple sports at one time, season length, etc.). Pre-puberty athletes are more likely to be affected with overuse/overload injuries. Playing multiple sports is highly encouraged at these ages, and all factors must be accounted for to ensure that young athletes are not trained the same way as older, more mature athletes.
The second step is to examine the athlete’s projected sports schedule for the next 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. It’s important to start with the high school schedule and then determine if they also intend to play for a select team, and/or a fall ball team?
The third step is to work backwards from the first game of the season, which is often at the high school level, to determine when to start strength training and throwing programs. Strength training and throwing programs should be 6 to 8-week blocks. If for example, the first game is April 1, work backwards to identify benchmarks in time and specific progressions that must be met before the athlete can safely move to the next phase of the program.
The following is an example of an off-season program for a 15 to 17-year-old pitcher only or two-way player with an April 1 start date.
- Phase I: October 15 to November 30
- 6-Week Basic Strength Training and Comprehensive Arm Care Program
- “Train to Train”
- No Throwing or showcases are permitted in this phase.
- Phase II: December 1 to January 15
- 6-Week Strength Training and Comprehensive Arm Care Program
- “Train to Throw”
- 6-Week Basic Flat Ground and Long Toss Throwing Program
- No bullpens, live mounds, or showcases occur during this phase.
- Phase III: January 16 to February 23
- This date will vary to coincide with state allowed tryouts and practices
- 6-Week Max Strength Training and Comprehensive Arm Care
- “Train to Pitch/Position Player Position Specific Throwing”
- 6-Week advanced throwing program
- Daily flat-ground and long toss throwing program (sets, throws, types of pitches, and distances)
- Scheduled bullpens for pitchers/2-way players
- Bullpens/Position player throwing programs are progressive in intensity, number, and types of pitches and position-specific throws
- Pitchers/Position players will build-up the ability to throw all pitches and position-specific throws and be ready for tryouts
- 6 bullpens are recommended because pitchers have 5 more weeks of throwing progressions for before first game
- This approach allows 2 bullpens/live BP for 5 weeks (10 total sessions)
- By April 1, pitchers should have thrown at least 16 bullpens/live BP
Upon completion of Phase III, high school coach and select team coaches are responsible for observing the state and local tournament recommendations. This includes innings pitched, pitches per outing, pitches per inning, and recovery days between outings mandated by the state that the pitcher is playing in.
Once the high school or travel ball season starts, the coach should consult with parents and athletes and determine how to navigate the athlete’s workload. Factors that affect would load include school work, baseball practice, games, and individual skill sessions, and strength and conditioning workouts. For athletes not playing fall baseball, a plan must also be developed to address additional requirements needed to prepare for the upcoming fall sport, e.g., football, soccer, basketball, etc.
Upon completion of the summer season, and before the start of fall baseball, players need instruction on how much rest and what types of rest are needed. A plan needs to be developed between the two seasons on how to perform safe and effective strength training, arm care, and throwing programs progressing into and during the fall season.
Once the fall season is over, athletes should rest from lifting and throwing. The amount and type of rest should be based upon the total amount of work performed (number of seasons, appearances, inning, total pitches, injury status, etc.). The date that training for the next season begins will depend on when the fall season ends.
If athletes attend showcases, attendance should occur between April and early October to avoid the risk of injury and overtraining. Attending showcases between April and October helps ensure that athletes have had time to build-up to the stresses of pitching and playing. Attending showcases before April or May and after early October should be discouraged.
The baseball season, including HS, travel team, and fall ball, for youth players is extremely long. Many players, especially the more talented, are active for almost 10 months from start to finish. Many in sports medicine believe that the season is too long; but players often must be prepared for early tryouts, showcases, high school games and play-offs, travel tournaments, invitational events, fall seasons, and the pressure of overzealous parents and misinformed coaches.
Coaches and parents must take an adaptive approach to maintaining performance and minimizing the risks of overtraining, illness, and injury to young amateur athletes. The growing number of amateur athletes experiencing overuse injury and undergoing surgery indicates that more research into the care of youth athletes is needed and that players, parents, and coaches must be committed to age-appropriate, safe, and effective programs for training, development, competition, rest, and recovery.
Most injuries in youth baseball are overuse problems, not problems with mechanics. While proper throwing and pitching mechanics are essential, even athletes with perfect mechanics are at increased risk of injury when overloaded. The best way to protect young athletes is to effectively manage work load and follow, effective, progressive throwing and training programs that safely increase workload volume, intensity, and frequency and allow proper rest and recovery between throwing sessions, games, seasons, and workouts.
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Sean Marohn, RSCC, is Health and Performance Coordinator for Cincy Flames in Cincinnati, OH (www.cincyflames.org). Sean has 25 years of coaching including 21 in professional baseball and 18 with the Cincinnati Reds. Sean was the Reds Minor League Coordinator and Major League Director of Strength and Conditioning. He has also coached with the Brewers, Pirates, and A’s organizations, and was selected to 2015 MLB All Star Game.
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