Softball Tips - Give 'Em a Rest

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

The latest issue of Fastpitch Delivery, the official newspaper of the NFCA, contains an article that covers a position statement from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) regarding the increase in injuries in youth sports. Essentially, they attribute it to the face that it seems athletes these days never get a break. They are pretty much required to play their sport — in this case fastpitch softball — year 'round.

As has been mentioned on the Discuss Fastpitch Forum before, the NATA focuses particularly on over-use and repetitive use injuries. Running and throwing are called out particularly — both overhand and pitching for the latter.

It is a fact that in our society we place a high premium on winning. As a result, more and more teams seem to go non-stop. The end of one season blends into the beginning of the next. In fact, in the battle for players some teams are now holding their tryouts BEFORE Nationals are completed. That's just wrong on so many levels.

While adults like to win, and often pin their self-worth on leading their 12 year old daughters' teams to victory in whatever tournament they're in that weekend, it does begin to take a toll on the players. It is critically important for players to be able to rest and recover after a long season — both physically and mentally. Yet that rest and recovery time often takes a back seat to the need to get ready for next year.

It's tough not to do it, too. You know everyone else is, and you're afraid they're gaining an edge by doing it. So you drag your team out to the field and get going right away. Then when arm or leg trouble starts up it becomes an even bigger problem.

Interestingly, the NATA had a suggestion for overcoming these repetitive/overuse injuries that many club coaches in particular won't like. They recommended that athletes play a second sport that uses different muscles and skills than their primary sport. So for softball players, something with more running and little throwing (such as soccer) would be a good choice. Or gymnastics, which relies on strength and balance.

I say the coaches won't like it because the NATA recommendation implies that while the athlete is in the second sport she not participate in the primary one. Give those softball muscles, and brain cells, a break.

Sure, it's tough to imagine, and the fear of losing ground to the competition is always a factor. Yet you may not be losing ground following this advice; you may ultimately be gaining it instead. After all, if your players come back refreshed and alert the odds are they'll perform better than those who are burned out before the season even gets under way.

If you do follow the NATA's recommendation they also have one other suggestion. When you do pick up again, ease into it. Don't just rush right into extensive throwing drills, or even excessive conditioning. Build up to it slowly and you'll avoid injury. Seems like common sense to me, but I've certainly heard enough horror stories about overly eager coaches over-doing things to the detriment of their ballclubs.

The desire to win, and put the best possible team on the field, is a strong one. But the wrong approach, no matter how well-intentioned, can actually work against both you and your athletes.

Give 'em a break and encourage them to explore other athletic and academic opportunities. You just may find that, as in so many cases, absence makes the heart grow fonder - and your players come back more ready than ever to go at the new season wholeheartedly. Anyway, that's the way I see it.