“Off-season” throwing routine - stay sharp or just rest?

[tommyGunZ]

DD is a 2028 who just moved from 10U to 12U this fall. Team is dark for 6-8 weeks, so I’m trying to determine the best use of that time. She threw 252 innings in 2021, so I’m debating whether to give her 6 weeks off to completely rest, or to keep throwing short bullpens (2-3 days a week) just to stay sharp.

Dads with young pitchers, do you take extended periods of time off to give your kids arm an extended rest?

 

[Towny9]

I would take time off from pitching, but not throwing. You should vary the volume and intensity from that of the season, but to go cold turkey and not throw at all for 6-8 weeks never made sense to me. Weight lifters would never go 6-8 weeks without lifting. They do however have deload phases where they change up volume and intensity to get through plateaus. The arm is a muscle - use it or lose it

 

[injnyr]

For my 2026 and 2028 DDs, this off-season we are going to evaluate mechanics and focus on specific areas that need improvement. Not so much throwing but breaking down movements in slo-mo and talking about what feels natural, strong, and efficient. Another item we will be working on is strength/agility training (bodyweight and bands, no free weights). If you don't already do so, you should consider long toss sessions once or twice a week. We'll also be discussing goal setting and what they plan to accomplish this next season/year.

 

[Ken B]

3-6 weeks would be amazing. I have NEVER seen a student take time off that hasn't come back faster, fresher and often showing better mechanics than where we left off at full motion.

 

[Towny9]

3-6 weeks would be amazing. I have NEVER seen a student take time off that hasn't come back faster, fresher and often showing better mechanics than where we left off at full motion.

I think I missed the age of your DD when I first replied. At her young age I would worry more about mental burnout than “staying sharp”. If she wants some time off let her take some time off, but if she asks you to throw some that’s ok too. Let he steer the ship some. 3-6 weeks like Ken suggested is a small blip in the entire season if it makes her mentally fresher when she returns.

My post was ignoring the mental side and just saying their really isn’t a physical reason to not throw at all for that time period.

Offseason Training: To Throw or Not to Throw? It's not really a question ...

The physical act of throwing is an adaptation and an accommodation and is not something you should start and stop. Once you start throwing, you keep throwing as long as you’re going to be a throwing athlete.

teammstrd.com

 

[efastball]

Why is this a question? Of course you rest.

 

[tommyGunZ]

My 2028 DD is my first kid; just hoping to learn from others experiences.

 

[Tazman]

We always took a full month off at least once and often twice per year at that age. I've done a lot of reading about how important that is in letting the body completely heal. We were always back in the groove within two weeks of restarting even though we ramped slowly. More importantly though, 252 innings is probably way too many at that age. The best reading I've done at that age is to stay below 100 pitches or so in a day. I found that also correlated to where my daughter got sore as a high velocity pitcher with pretty good form. We lost some games because she was limited but I think not burning her out physically or mentally at that age is what has allowed her to stay focused and excel as she got older.

 

[IndyHScoach]

Was recently at an NFCA conference and a similar question was asked to the panel of top collegiate coaches. the consensus was that pitchers should take at least 8 weeks off a year to rest. Not all at once but fit 8 weeks rest into 52. They are starting to see the overuse injuries and recently blood clots in the shoulders have been found.

For what it s worth, they all so encouraged a second sport.

 

[Jeffrey]

My opinions, not science: At least 6 weeks, especially with that work load. I would ignore any comparisons to what adult men who throw overhand do in their off season. This is a child that needs time off to heal...and start back sloooooowwwwwwwly. Her bones are still growing too so go easy on the weight training and stick to plyo type workouts. I also agree with those who say she may need a mental break too!