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

[softgabby]

I'll add my two cents...

When I pitched, I liked having a few weeks where I wasn't throwing very intense. I liked being able to throw slower and work on mechanics and learn something new to ut into my toolbox.

Now that I'm a catcher, I take and completely shut down for a few weeks over the summer and let myself rest so I can heal because catching can work on your knees and back. I use that time to read, mess around with a gaming project on my Switch, or even just learning how to cook something new. I'll start lightly working out in mid to late July so I can go back to college ready to hit the ground running once I get back.

 

[PapaBear]

Mine heading into her final HS season started throwing in Dec after being cleared from a procedure she had done after high school.
Right now 3 days a week which includes, long toss, pitching lesson and one day of 30 pitch bullpen/long toss.
2 days with personal trainer
alot of Jbands both Jr and regular
2-3 days of cardio and lifting on her own
Spinner 3-4 days
One day of rest where she does nothing

 

[uncdrew]

DD started in Fall first year 10U. We then used the winter months to work really hard (while others weren't) and went from P3 in the Fall to P1 in the Spring.

But come the next Winter, she had been pitching for a good 14 months in a row, so we took 8 weeks off at Xmas. Obviously a break was needed. Now we're down to about 4-6 weeks of no pitching every winter, and she too comes back stronger and faster. Perhaps it's more mental than anything, as she is raring to go when it's time to get back at it.

We too do BB in the off-season, and while she sucks at it, she hustles and smiles and has fun.

This year, now that she's 12 and gone through puberty, we're adding light weights and a conditioning program prepared by her pitching coach (who is also a strength coach). So now we're super eager to see how she comes out in the Spring.

When we get back to pitching, we start at the beginning. Like the most basic drills. Everything at 50% day 1, 70% day 2, etc. Perhaps 5 sessions before we're back to full pitch. We do our best to time this all with the first scrimmage/practice/tournament so she's good to go when coach needs her.

 

[Towny9]

DD started in Fall first year 10U. We then used the winter months to work really hard (while others weren't) and went from P3 in the Fall to P1 in the Spring.

But come the next Winter, she had been pitching for a good 14 months in a row, so we took 8 weeks off at Xmas. Obviously a break was needed. Now we're down to about 4-6 weeks of no pitching every winter, and she too comes back stronger and faster. Perhaps it's more mental than anything, as she is raring to go when it's time to get back at it.

We too do BB in the off-season, and while she sucks at it, she hustles and smiles and has fun.

This year, now that she's 12 and gone through puberty, we're adding light weights and a conditioning program prepared by her pitching coach (who is also a strength coach). So now we're super eager to see how she comes out in the Spring.

When we get back to pitching, we start at the beginning. Like the most basic drills. Everything at 50% day 1, 70% day 2, etc. Perhaps 5 sessions before we're back to full pitch. We do our best to time this all with the first scrimmage/practice/tournament so she's good to go when coach needs her.

This is what I was trying to say earlier in the thread. Taking off depends on the kid and the situation. Your kid benefitted by not taking off. If you were an uncommitted junior or senior who has D1 hopes I would give them the same advice. Work your butt off In the off-season while others “rest”.

 

[uncdrew]

This is what I was trying to say earlier in the thread. Taking off depends on the kid and the situation. Your kid benefitted by not taking off. If you were an uncommitted junior or senior who has D1 hopes I would give them the same advice. Work your butt off In the off-season while others “rest”.

Exactly. It depends on so many things.

My DD was a bit over-worked in the fall. In fact, we left teams (in part) because of it.

Funny how at some stages (and on some teams) we wanted more mound time, now we actually are looking for less.

 

[PapaBear]

Exactly. It depends on so many things.

My DD was a bit over-worked in the fall. In fact, we left teams (in part) because of it.

Funny how at some stages (and on some teams) we wanted more mound time, now we actually are looking for less.

The older she gets the more you value being part of a pitching staff and not a pitcher.

 

[Towny9]

Exactly. It depends on so many things.

My DD was a bit over-worked in the fall. In fact, we left teams (in part) because of it.

Funny how at some stages (and on some teams) we wanted more mound time, now we actually are looking for less.

My daughter is the #2/3 pitcher on her team (that I coach). It’s perfect for her long term development IMO. She pitches enough to make it worth putting in time and effort to get better, but not enough that she never gets to develop at other positions. Most of us agre the best pitchers at 10U and 12U aren’t the best at 16U and 18U. I don’t want my daughter pitching so much she can’t do anything else because she spent so much time pitching.

A small piece of me dies every time I see a 10U or 12U pitcher spend team practice time pitching while the other girls hit or take ground balls/fly balls.

 

[gator5]

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?

I am a dad with a college pitcher. Take the time off. Rest.

We took 6 -8 weeks off after every fall season. It would them take her a month or so to get back in form, but she was always easily ready for the new season. (and it was hard on her to start back slowly for a few weeks. It is not easy to do)

As an aside, she hated that I made her take that much time off. She wanted to keep going. But I vowed early on, if my daughter failed, it was not going to be from me overpitching her. I guess I heard too many stories early on, then saw it in person as we got older.

 

[Towny9]

I am a dad with a college pitcher. Take the time off. Rest.

We took 6 -8 weeks off after every fall season. It would them take her a month or so to get back in form, but she was always easily ready for the new season. (and it was hard on her to start back slowly for a few weeks. It is not easy to do)

As an aside, she hated that I made her take that much time off. She wanted to keep going. But I vowed early on, if my daughter failed, it was not going to be from me overpitching her. I guess I heard too many stories early on, then saw it in person as we got older.

This is good advice if you are going to take time off you have to slowly ramp it back up or the time off will actually increase injury risk if you don’t. Curious what she did other than throwing in that time off or was it total rest?

 

[Tatonka]

I'm in the same boat as gator5, my pitcher DD is now a sophomore in college and ramping back up for those February Dome games and THE Spring games down in FL (hopefully the season doesn't get cut again). Early in her pitching career I made sure she took a good break (6-8 weeks) from it, staying in shape was never a problem due to the other sports she played. As she got older the winter showcases in January and February cut short those breaks but we still tried to take at least somewhat of a break. Cardio, light weights, band work & stretching is now a bigger part of her program than ever.