Why Year-Round Baseball Is A Bad Idea For Kids
Why year-round baseball is a bad idea for kids. If you want your kid to make it to the big leagues, maybe they should play less baseball, not more. Atlanta Brave’s former Ace, John Smoltz, made headlines on this hot topic in his Baseball Hall of Fame Speech when he sent a warning to all parents.
“I want to encourage the families and parents that are out there that this is not normal to have surgery at 14 and 15 years old. That you have time, and that baseball is not a year-round sport. That you have an opportunity to be athletic and play other sports. Don’t let the institutions that are out there running before you guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses that this is the way…they’re competing and maxing out too hard, too early, and that’s why we’re having these problems. Please, take care of those great future arms.”
The Unfortunate Cost Of Being The Best
Chris Gissell, who played professional baseball for fourteen years and now owns and operates Baseball Dudes, a private training facility in Tyler, Texas, shared this with us. “After pitching over 1,500 professional innings and then coaching it for many seasons, I feel I have a good understanding and feel for what it takes, both physically and mentally, to survive long term. The youth programs’ win-loss records or how many tournaments they have won or where they rank on some national ranking list DOES NOT matter. What does matter, how they are taking care of their players. How they are developing them. How they are preparing them for high school baseball. How are they teaching them the mental game, and how are they at developing character!”
A striking insight into this issue is the increased prevalence of Tommy John surgery, which is becoming alarmingly common in the youth demographic. Recent reporting from ABC7 Chicago, featuring insights from Dr. Mark Cohen, the team physician for the Chicago White Sox, underscores this trend. Dr. Cohen pointed out an alarming increase in the number of young athletes undergoing this procedure. The data, echoing findings from the American Journal of Sports Medicine, indicates a yearly growth of 9% in Tommy John surgeries among players under 18. Dr. Cohen said the fastest growing segment of patients needing Tommy John surgery are 15- to 19-year-olds and the common theme is overuse from single sport specialization and year-round throwing
This trend has sparked concern from experts, who warn about the potential long-term effects on young athletes. Dr. James Andrews, a renowned sports surgeon and founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute, has been vocal in cautioning against year-round baseball for youth players. He notes that children’s bodies are still developing, and they need time to rest and recover between seasons.
In addition to physical risks, there are also psychological dangers associated with year-round baseball. Competing year round in a pressure packed environment can also lead to burnout, stress, and even mental health issues. It’s crucial for parents and coaches to recognize the signs of burnout and prioritize their child’s well-being over athletic success.
Gissel points to several factors as the main culprits in addition to year-round baseball. Competitive pitching in the winter months when they should be resting or building up for the upcoming season, too much baseball over a 2-3 day span in some tournaments, pitching without proper rest, pitching too many pitches when their arm is not conditioned for it, pitching too many pitches with poor mechanics.
He also points out that there are not many ‘true’ pitching coaches out there and that most coaches were not pitchers themselves growing up, so they lack some of the understanding needed. They don’t know what it takes to throw strikes, what it feels like to battle through a long inning, what dead arm (fatigue) feels like, what proper mechanics look like. They also lack the knowledge and experience to understand the delicate balance of rest and pitch count. ‘The good ones will go out of their way to seek information. They will have a desire to educate themselves because they know how important that position that sits in the middle of the field on a small mountain really is.”