- Feb 13, 2018
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Looking for advice on taking time off. Do your pitchers throw year-round, or do they take time off? What does their winter/off season rest look like and their winter/off season practice look like?
Taking time off
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- May 17, 2012
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My advice would be business as usual but understanding that life in the offseason gets in the way sometimes of pitching practice. School/holidays/other sports only allow you so much time so I wouldn't be concerned if you missed some pitching practice/lessons/indoor games.
Would I shut it down for 2 months or a planned shutdown of "X" amount of time? I would not.
Having said that if you have a history of injury or overuse (from the prior summer) then you might plan something specific (time off).
December for most of my pitchers is always a light practice pitching month just due to everything going on in school and life.
Would I shut it down for 2 months or a planned shutdown of "X" amount of time? I would not.
Having said that if you have a history of injury or overuse (from the prior summer) then you might plan something specific (time off).
December for most of my pitchers is always a light practice pitching month just due to everything going on in school and life.
It is a big "it depends". What age? How much did she pitch? How much is she going to pitch this fall? I'd say take a couple of weeks off in August. For winter, take Nov into Dec off. Then ramp up slowly.
I'd take this time off to "work out". Whatever that looks like for your age. My dd started strength class in the spring of 1st year 14u. She definitely had large imbalances in strength and endurance when she started. The strength classes did not show any appreciable increase in velocity. However, her PC noticed an overall increase in...stability and body control.
Side note. Measured through blast motion, there was a noticeable increase in bat speed.
I'd take this time off to "work out". Whatever that looks like for your age. My dd started strength class in the spring of 1st year 14u. She definitely had large imbalances in strength and endurance when she started. The strength classes did not show any appreciable increase in velocity. However, her PC noticed an overall increase in...stability and body control.
Side note. Measured through blast motion, there was a noticeable increase in bat speed.
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I agree with the "it depends" answer. A lot of variables go into what an individual pitcher experiences over the course of a season. We should also never forget the mental side. Some players need a break to reset and rejuvenate. Some don't.
For my DD, between travel ball and school ball, she plays March through October. With 2x week indoor practices in Jan and Feb. Playing 3B and Pitcher as her main two spots. For both travel and school teams, she plays just about every inning of every game in one of those two positions. So she uses her throwing arm a lot. Factor in lessons, team practices, work at home, warm ups, and games. It's not uncommon she ends each season banged up somewhere. She gets a week or two down time in August and then we shut her down for all of November. Maybe a bit into Dec if she feels she needs it.
She is a player that needs the time off. She'll burn herself out and needs the mental break as much as the physical. The time off isn't spent purely lounging around on the couch. DD still has strength and agility training that she does. We've never noticed any regression from the breaks. Sure there's a little rust, but once she's worked back up she often picks back up where she left off. Just with a bit more energy and enthusiasm.
Her goal isn't to go play in college. It's simply to perform to her best ability playing the highest level competition she can on a regional TB team until she graduates. So our plan around down time may differ from someone who has different goals.
It's not a one size fits all answer. And what you choose to do could change year to year.
For my DD, between travel ball and school ball, she plays March through October. With 2x week indoor practices in Jan and Feb. Playing 3B and Pitcher as her main two spots. For both travel and school teams, she plays just about every inning of every game in one of those two positions. So she uses her throwing arm a lot. Factor in lessons, team practices, work at home, warm ups, and games. It's not uncommon she ends each season banged up somewhere. She gets a week or two down time in August and then we shut her down for all of November. Maybe a bit into Dec if she feels she needs it.
She is a player that needs the time off. She'll burn herself out and needs the mental break as much as the physical. The time off isn't spent purely lounging around on the couch. DD still has strength and agility training that she does. We've never noticed any regression from the breaks. Sure there's a little rust, but once she's worked back up she often picks back up where she left off. Just with a bit more energy and enthusiasm.
Her goal isn't to go play in college. It's simply to perform to her best ability playing the highest level competition she can on a regional TB team until she graduates. So our plan around down time may differ from someone who has different goals.
It's not a one size fits all answer. And what you choose to do could change year to year.
I think it depends on your situation and the level at which you play. There isn't much time off for someone looking to play in college. But I feel you need to find the time to rest and recuperate to help avoid injury. It also depends on the workload during the different seasons.
My daughter threw 110 innings from March 29 through May 12. Our HS team had five scheduled sets of back-to-back games on our schedule, and my daughter pitched every inning of those games. She wound up getting hurt with a case of shoulder tendonitis that derailed her most important recruiting summer. Now she's behind the eight-ball to get recruited before it's too late. She needed to take a month off after the injury on May 16th, but because she had camps and tournaments scheduled, she rushed back and told me she was fine. She wasn't fine, and now the ortho shut her down for 4-6 weeks.
These girls need to make time to A) recover and rest. B) to be a kid. That doesn't mean they sit on the couch all day, but it can mean they take a break from softball.
My daughter threw 110 innings from March 29 through May 12. Our HS team had five scheduled sets of back-to-back games on our schedule, and my daughter pitched every inning of those games. She wound up getting hurt with a case of shoulder tendonitis that derailed her most important recruiting summer. Now she's behind the eight-ball to get recruited before it's too late. She needed to take a month off after the injury on May 16th, but because she had camps and tournaments scheduled, she rushed back and told me she was fine. She wasn't fine, and now the ortho shut her down for 4-6 weeks.
These girls need to make time to A) recover and rest. B) to be a kid. That doesn't mean they sit on the couch all day, but it can mean they take a break from softball.
Few years ago DD had back pain. Ortho did a bone scan as a precaution, sure enough two Pars factures. He said treats about 20 per year in young athletes and continues to increase every year. His theory was not enough extended breaks for kids to heal properly.
He suggested one month break from pitching twice a year. It definitely hurts development to take that time off, but we have stuck to it since.
I also knew pitcher who said she went 3 years straight throwing 300 pitches every day and never experienced an injury. So there's that too......
He suggested one month break from pitching twice a year. It definitely hurts development to take that time off, but we have stuck to it since.
I also knew pitcher who said she went 3 years straight throwing 300 pitches every day and never experienced an injury. So there's that too......
We took plenty of time off at the younger ages. As their goals change their work load has changed. We took time off. We are back at it for fall ball practicing when ever we can. HS soccer has already started, HS freshman. 3 hr soccer practices. School starts in a week and that makes it only 5 months until HS ball starts.
It’s a lot to juggle. When they were younger their goal was to play for their HS. We didn’t practice year around. Now they want to make varsity.
So like mentioned “depends”.
It’s a lot to juggle. When they were younger their goal was to play for their HS. We didn’t practice year around. Now they want to make varsity.
So like mentioned “depends”.
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- Nov 18, 2022
- 100
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Typically my DD plays year round- fall TB season then spring HS and summer TB
Usually august is pitching lessons and camps and then last tourney in fall is usually within the first few weeks of December- she will then usually do lessons and camps in January with hs practice and season starting in Feb with 5 day a week practices.
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Usually august is pitching lessons and camps and then last tourney in fall is usually within the first few weeks of December- she will then usually do lessons and camps in January with hs practice and season starting in Feb with 5 day a week practices.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We take as much time off as we can. Which isn't much, unfortunately. We completely shut down after the last tourney in November, and then don't start up until about 2 weeks before the first tourney (which is usually in Florida in Feb). So we try to get 8 weeks off. In those 8 weeks we still do hitting and then focus on weight training. And just rest and time away from the grind. We ramp back up slowly. For 3-4 years running, she comes back from these breaks stronger and faster. Always a new PR with velocity. And it's from the rest. Rest is very important.
In the summer, I try to find a two week break of some kind. Usually possible in last half of July, the way travel and Fall high school ball plays out.
