By Lyz Pfister, Stop Sports Injuries.org

Matthew Ryden was on the court dribbling a basketball, when he suddenly collapsed. It was late January, and he’d been suffering from a tender knee for about 18 months so that knee pain was nothing new to him. Matt would rest and ice it, ease up for a few days—and then hop back in the game. But this was pain unlike anything he’d experienced so far. At the hospital, a series of x-rays and a subsequent MRI diagnosed him with a case of osteochondritis dissecans, a condition where cartilage in the joint, along with a thin layer of the bone beneath it, detaches from the rest of the bone. Matthew was just 13.

“It’s become an epidemic that we’re all very concerned about in our field,” said Dr. William Levine, Director of Sports Medicine at Columbia Orthopaedics, concerning the increasing frequency with which seriously injured young athletes, nationwide, are sent to specialists and the operating room. Over the past few years, “overuse” injuries have increased 400% among youth sports teams, yet according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, more than half of these injuries are preventable.

What are overuse injuries? Generally, they stem from playing one sport nearly year round, and a majority of the time they are serious. Because of the frightening rise of overuse injuries, a nationwide campaign is underway to educate coaches and adults about their dangers, and to encourage kids to keep playing—but to do so by playing a multitude of sports, not just one.

“I can’t tell you who it is who drives these programs, who drives baseball to be run from February to July,” said Theresa Ryden, Matt’s mother, “or who basically tells you your kid won’t be able to play if they don’t do club.” The Rydens live in Boise, Idaho, but by no means are these type of overuse injuries more likely to occur in that part of the country, or one region more than another. According to the CDC, nearly 30 million children nationwide participate in youth sports, and geography plays an insignificant role in the overuse-injury dilemma. Whether you live in warm-weather states like Florida or California, or New York City neighborhoods like Flatiron or Forest Hills, if you’re playing one sport nearly year round, you could very well be at risk of a serious injury.

Are coaches and parents, in general, really to blame for pushing kids to play too intensely, or stretching out a single sport’s season too long? Findings by medical experts indicate that they probably are. The good news, however, is that usually the pushing is not malicious. According to many orthopedic surgeons, the incidence of both traumatic and overuse injuries is rising at an alarming rate mostly because coaches and parents just don’t know that it’s an issue.

Enter Dr. Jim Andrews, president of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and founder of STOP Sports Injuries, whose commitment to the cause includes leveraging his star status in the world of professional sports to spread the word about the dangers of serious injuries suffered by kids and adolescents.

“Everything’s upside down,” said Dr. Andrews, who treats dozens of superstar professional athletes and is widely considered to be the leading orthopaedic surgeon in the United States. “We’re now seeing more adult-type sports injuries on high school and younger kids than we’re seeing on college and professional athletes.”

In conjunction with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and SAFE Kids USA, STOP is trying to increase awareness as to how, and why, kids are injured playing sports and how they can stay safe. In other words, it’s an effort on how to keep kids on the playing field—and out of the operating room.

Although one of STOP’s long-term goals is to prevent athletes from overextending themselves physically, STOP— which stands for Sports Trauma and Overuse Protection and was launched on April 1—is by no means trying to keep kids from playing sports.

“It’s positive for your mental health, your physical health, and your cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Jo Hannafin, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “ It builds confidence, it builds teamwork— there are huge positive benefits to sports. What you don’t want to do is break people down and burn them out because of over-training.”

Dr. Hannafin believes that some of the intensity usually reserved for college and professional level athleticism has trickled into youth leagues and school teams. That’s may be why many parents and coaches push too hard without understanding the negative consequences.

“One of the things we’re trying to get people to stop, both athletes, parents, and coaches, is that training through pain is not the way to get better,” said Dr. Hannafin. “The way to get better at your sport is to recognize when you’re overtrained, to recognize when you begin to develop pain.

“If you’re a parent, and your child is having pain,” she continued, “take them to someone who can evaluate them, who can find the right solution, perhaps to modify their training program or get them on appropriate strengthening, so you enable that child or young adult to continue to train.” Increasingly, in lower-level athletics, kids are encouraged to excel in a single sport rather than participating in multiple sports over a few seasons. This tunnel-like focus has dangerous consequences for young athletes, since so many overuse injuries occur due to repetitive motions for which young bodies are not equipped.

“Kids are being pushed like they’re professional athletes at a young age and their bodies are just not ready for that kind of a specialization,” says Dr. Andrews, describing why young athletes are at a higher risk than older athletes. Dr. Andrews, who is based in Birmingham, Alabama, added that over 60% of these overuse injuries are preventable with a little common sense. That would include making sure coaches (1) utilize proper training techniques; (2) use equipment that fits; (3) watch out for early signs of injury, and most importantly; (4) not put as much pressure on children to perform at such high levels.

Part of the problem with single-sport specialization, STOP believes, is that athletes don’t just play one season, but they also join a club team; a traveling team; play indoors during the off-season; and if they’re talented, play in showcases to impress scouts on various levels. Playing a single sport for such an extended period of time stresses the same muscle and joint groups over and over again, and athletes often don’t do the appropriate strength training.

“In the young kids, inherent muscle imbalances makes them more vulnerable for injury,” says Dr. Andrews. “So they’re the ones that need the best protection and they’re the ones that are getting the least attention and the least protection.”

Tears in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), for instance, are twice as common in girls as in boys. Yet often, those who coach lacrosse and soccer, sports that involve cutting and pivoting, don’t incorporate strengthening exercises into practices—many because they don’t know they need to.

“Those are the things I struggle with,” says Dr. Hannafin. “The traumatic injuries often happening because kids are not trained well enough, they’re not trained in preventive strategy, or they’re playing to fatigue.”

Though the end result is often the same—too many kids with preventable sports injuries – the causes for these injuries are numerous and often sport specific. Young baseball players for instance, should only pitch the appropriate number of pitches for their age group and not on consecutive days. Soccer players should begin a routine of aerobic conditioning, strength training, and agility training before embarking on a full-blown soccer season. Swimmers should do core strengthening and cross-training exercises as part of pre- and early-season routines.

This is the sort of information STOP hopes to spread among the athletic community through conferences, Power Point presentations, and grassroots efforts through word of mouth. It has also set up a comprehensive website (www. stopsportsinjuries.org), where each sport has its own list of injuries and a tip sheet, compiled by sports injury specialists, on how to prevent them.

In addition, STOP aims to facilitate conversations between parents, coaches, and athletes, to keep kids healthy, safe, and above all, to give them the greatest chance to have fun. Part of this dialogue is openly addressing parents’ desires for their children to be good enough at their sport to garner a college scholarship or even to play at the professional level.

“We see a lot of parents pushing, pushing, pushing their kids and having their kids not only do practices, but have a private coach,” said Ms. Ryden. “And if they didn’t make the team, then they’re coached again so they can make the team next year.”

The reality, however, is that playing a sport to the point of serious injury is detrimental to pursuing an athletic career— which is precisely the opposite result hard-driving parents and coaches are shooting for.

“Once you have surgery, and you’re under the age of eighteen, the likelihood that you’re going to be a professional athlete, as low as it was prior to that, has probably gone as close to zero as it can be,” says Dr. Levine at Columbia Orthopaedics.

And possibly even more sobering is this statistic from the STOP website, citing CDC research: “By age 13, 70 percent of kids drop out of youth sports.” Factoring this in, it can be argued that all things being equal, with a large majority of kids giving up sports entirely, all the extra pressure being exerted on them to thrive and improve not only will be wasted, but it may saddle kids with serious injuries for life.

Dr. Levine also mentioned that in some circles there’s the alarming misconception that having elbow surgery is a good thing— that the elbow is stronger after surgery than it ever was before.

“There can be nothing further from the truth,” said Dr. Levine.

Having an overuse injury or surgery at such a young age is something that could adversely affect the rest of their lives.

“That to me is heartbreaking, because if you tear your ACL at 14, and you get back to sports, you may be perfectly fine,” said Dr. Hannafin. “But if you tear your ACL at 14 and you also injure the cartilage in your knee, that’s the beginning of the development an arthritic process in the knee that may go on over many years.”

Since finding out about his injury about four months ago, Matt Ryden has traded in his lacrosse stick and gloves, skateboard and a pair of basketball shoes, for a guitar. He’s taken up cycling and is thinking about switching from snowboarding to skiing in about a year, which is when doctors expect him once again to be able to play any sport he chooses. He’s making the best of a bad situation. But what about his athletic career?

“It’s just basically one big question mark,” said Matt’s mother, who wonders whether it might take a generation, growing up in a hyper-competitive athletic environment, to revolutionize the system. “Maybe there will be a change just through attrition or through the kids that are living it—or else they’ll all be really smart and they’ll become orthopaedic surgeons. Because there’s going to be a huge need for them.”

WARNING SIGNS OF OVERPLAYING
Led by Dr. James Andrews, one of the country’s leading orthopedic surgeons, STOP’s awareness campaign is providing concerned parents and coaches important information that can help prevent young athletes from developing serious injuries.

To determine whether your child is overplaying, here are some warning signs STOP says you should to watch for:
Playing through fatigue Complaining of pain in an overused area Changes in a child’s attitude about a sport Not countering sport specific practices with appropriate strengthening exercises You not knowing what your child is doing in practice.

Indications that an injury may have already occurred:
Avoiding putting weight on a certain body part, favoring one side or the other Appearing to be in pain Inability to sleep Shortness of breath during activity Headaches during or after activity Appearing to exhibit stiffness in joints or muscles Dizziness or lightheadedness Difficulty sitting and/or climbing stairs Inability to feel fingers or toes. Experiencing unusual weakness Irritated skin or blisters.

Tips on how to cut down on overuse:
Cut back on intensity, duration, and frequency of an activity Adopt an alternating hard/easy workout schedule, and cross-training with other activities Learn about proper training and technique from a coach or trainer Perform proper warm-up activities before and after playing Use ice after an activity for minor aches and pains Use anti-inflammatory medication as necessary Keep lines of communication open /know what your kids are doing in practice.

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By Dan Gazaway

If you are a looking to become a good baseball player, there is no secret that it will take some hard work at some point. And while hitting drills are immensely valuable, there has always been some discussion about how many swings one needs to take daily or how much time one needs to spend to become good. I remember growing up having my coach tell me that I needed 200 swings a day if I wanted to make it anywhere as a ball player. This thinking is flawed. Hitting drills are important ONLY if the hitter has the capacity to focus on the drills at hand. Let me explain.

Baseball is a game of focus. Every motion you make as a baseball player gets stored in your mental memory bank that your body uses to form habits and movements. If you mess around playing catch before a game, your muscles won’t react consistently during the game. If you dink around during hitting drills and swing your bat wildly at the ball on the tee, or forget to pay attention to your form, your muscles will be programmed to swing out of control or inconsistently in a game. Therefore, if you want consistent performances, you have to have consistent movements in practice.

Having worked with all ages of youth baseball I have seen 10 year olds focus better than 15 year olds and everything in between. Some players naturally mature at different rates and at different ages. You must take this into account as a coach when you are working with your athletes on hitting drills, especially those that are stationary and without a lot of action. Pay close attention to your hitters and how much focus they are applying to the drill itself. Once you begin to see a focus breakdown, interrupt the drill, help refocus the athlete and let him start again. Simple breaks in the routine will help many athletes become more productive during hitting drills and will ultimately help their muscle memory become more consistent.

Dan Gazaway, a seasoned High Performance Coach, is passionately dedicated to guiding student athletes towards excellence, both on and off the field. https://www.dangazaway.com/

As youth coaches, our jobs are to do more than just coach the X’s and O’s. Great coaches try to instill character, sportsmanship, work ethic and other qualities in their players.
No one better exemplified this than John Wooden, whose players not only learned excellent basketball fundamentals, but extremely valuable life lessons as well.
It would be a challenge for anyone to live up to Wooden’s Nine Promises that can Bring Happiness every day in every way, but imagine a world if everyone did.
1. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value
3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.
4. Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise yourself to be strong so that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
8. Promise to give so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

By Brian Gotta, President of Upstart Sports

We get asked for rules templates for youth baseball leagues running fall-ball seasons. Here is one for what a league termed its “Rookie B” Division, which is a non-competitive coach-pitch level. Most of these rules would also apply for T-ball leagues as well as machine-pitch. Feel free to copy and modify as needed for your league’s fall-ball campaign.
Rookie B Rules and Regulations
OVERVIEW OF DIVISION:
This is an instructional league, all participants should remember this is to be a fun and positive learning experience for players, parents, and fans, alike. All involved should remember to encourage your own players, but do not heckle other players or dispute calls made by the coaches.
Batting:

• A batting order consists of all players.  One complete cycle through the batting order will determine end of the inning.
• There is no “on-deck batter” position.  Players should come from the bench to the plate, after the play has stopped. They may practice swing the bat on the way to the plate.
• There are no strikeouts or walks. Each batter must hit a fair ball during his/her at bat. However, if a batter has not hit a fair ball after 6 pitches, a batting tee may be used to allow a player a successful completion at bat. The manager at his/her discretion should do this move, so a player’s confidence is maintained.
• There is no bunting allowed.
• Batted balls that do not travel outside 15-foot quarter circle in front of home plate will be ruled foul.
• Bat throwing will not be tolerated.

Base Running:

• Base runners must stay in contact with the base until the ball is hit, therefore, no leading off or stealing is allowed.
• An attempt by a fielder to throw the ball back to the pitcher freezes the runners unless they are already halfway to the next base. In the case of balls being returned from the outfield, the throw must only reach the infield to be considered “thrown back to the pitcher”.   (The infield includes the dirt.)
• Base runners may only take one base on an over throw, even if the ball remains in a position that would normally be considered “in play”.
• Head first sliding is NOT allowed.

Substitutions & Rotation of Players:

• Managers should rotate players, so no player plays more than 2 innings at any one position.
• All players must play a minimum of two innings in the outfield and two innings in the infield.  The catcher position is defined as an outfield position.
• Substitutes will rotate each defensive inning so that no player sits more than one inning in a row. All players should sit out one inning before a player sits out a second.

Fielding:

• Teams will have 11 or 12 players.
• Teams will field 10 (regular baseball positions plus extra fielders in the outfield). The outfielders should be positioned on the outfield grass to prevent them from interfering with the infield positions and plays.
• Outfielders should not be making plays in the infield. A catcher, with full protective gear, may be used at home plate.
• The catcher must remain in the protected position until the ball is hit. A catcher is in a protected position when he is next to the backstop and looking at the face of the hitter. The catcher will be used for defensive plays only and may use a fielder’s glove.
• An adult coach, from the offensive team, will act as batting coach and retrieve pitches for the coach who is pitching.

Equipment:

• The league will provide batting helmet, bats and balls for each game. Report damaged or missing equipment to Rookie B Coordinator as soon as possible. We encourage all players to wear a cup. Cups are mandatory for those playing catcher. Each player should be in team jersey, cap and long pants (no shorts) for games.

Safety:

• The shed is stocked with a first aid kits and ice packs.  These items must be with the team at every practice and game.  If more kits or ice packs are needed, contact the Rookie B Coordinator as soon as possible.
• All offensive players out of the dugout and on the field of play must wear a helmet.   The helmet must be worn until the player is behind the fence and back in the dugout.
• Managers and coaches must strictly enforce safety rules.
• Rule Enforcement: Managers/coaches will be responsible for all on field rule enforcement as well as dugout rule enforcement.  Register all formal complaints and problems to the Rookie B Coordinator in writing and copy to ________ Little League Board.

Field Setup:
Home team:

• Will be responsible for the field set-up, including chalks batters box & base lines and drag field as needed.
• Occupy the first base dugout.
• Supplies at least three game balls

Visiting team:

• Will be responsible for the field breakdown, put all equipment away, repair holes on the pitching mound, cover the mound, repair batters box, clean up trash.
• Occupy the third base dugout.

Pitching:

• Each manager/coach will pitch to his/her own team.
• Pitching may be underhand or overhand depending upon the skill of the particular batter.  Coaches are encouraged to work with players so that as the season progresses they are comfortable with facing overhand pitching.

Scoring:

• Score books are not to be maintained.  Informal scores of each game and league standings are not to be kept or encouraged.

Game length:

• All games must start on time!
• Games shall be no longer than four innings.  No new inning shall start after 90 minutes.  Finish half inning and clear out dugout before you have team meeting so other teams can take over the dugouts and field.

Coaching:

• Base Coach: Adult base coaches may be used to provide base running instruction. A player, wearing a helmet, may act as base coach or may assist the adult coach.
• Defensive managers and coaches will be allowed in the outfield to provide instruction. They are considered a part of the playing field.  Coaches are not permitted to touch a live ball but may instruct players.

Umpire:

• Umpires are not used.  Rulings on the field are made by the managers/coaches.

Behavior:

• Unsportsman like behavior is not tolerated (hitting, grabbing, pushing, swearing or any other behavior that disrupts the games.)