The Role Of Growth And Development In Youth Baseball Pitcher’s Success

by Dick Mills on December 20, 2004

Parents of youth baseball pitchers need to understand the role that growth and development plays on their children's ability to succeed at early ages. The gauge that many use to define their son's ability is baseball pitching velocity.

Too many parents are overly concerned that because their Little League baseball pitcher does not throw with good velocity now that he will not be able to later. Or conversely, because a Little League baseball pitcher throws with above average pitching velocity now that this will ensure that he will be able to continue this right on into high school or even college.

Most of the Little League baseball pitchers who throw with above average pitching velocity are early developing kids. They are usually bigger and stronger than most of the other Little League baseball pitchers in their league. And because these early developers are bigger and stronger, parents—fathers mostly faulsely believe that their bigger and stronger kids should be training like fully developed high school pitchers. Unfortunately because of this, these early developing kids end up injured more often because although they may look fully developed their bones are still soft so their growth plates are at risk of being injured.

These early developers will have success early but this is no guarantee that they will stay ahead of the pack…or the late developers. But fathers continue to overwork them…throwing in the backyard, even have them throw weighted baseballs and overdoing weight training…all designed so they can continue to have an edge. However, this overuse is what produces so many arm injuries early.

These early developed Little League baseball pitchers… because they have a physical size advantage often perform better than late maturing baseball pitchers. They will experience early success due to a physical growth advantage but not because of enhanced pitching skills.

And the late maturers experience less success, more failure and frustration simply because they are physically "behind" their same age peers.

The bottom line here that parents need to understand is that performance can be influenced by maturity level…which is totally out of the young pitcher's control.

Now here is what parents and their late developing baseball pitchers need to understand. Late developers often catch up to or exceed overall pitching performance of the early developed pitchers by mid-teen years…if they have not dropped out of baseball because of unrealistic performance expectations by themselves or their parents.

Unfortunately…many of these late developing pitchers get cut from teams or get less playing time…even though they have some success but do not throw hard enough for some coaches. It's apparent then that coaches must also understand growth and development as much as parents.

Here is what is interesting. They have tracked "outstanding" kids of elementary age and found that only 25% were still outstanding in later years…obviously suggesting that early success is not a predictor of later success…such as pitching on the high school team.

What is most important in all of this is that all youth baseball pitchers should focus on building mechanical skills first. Many early developing baseball pitchers do not learn good pitching mechanics because their size is what contibutes to their velocity…so parents erroneously believe that they do not need instruction.

This past week I spoke to a father who was inquiring about our Explosive Pitching instructional DVD's and wasn't so sure his son needed them because he was a 12 year old throwing 68 mph. He said "If it ain't broke why fix it." I then explained what you have just read that his son's success now may not be an indication of later success unless he continues to monitor his pitching mechanics.

My son was one of those late developing kids who was always the third best pitcher in Little League. As an 11 year old he was the 9th player selected on the All Stars out of 14 kids. However, he was not selected because of his velocity but because his skill allowed him to throw with good control and change speeds. And he never threw a curveball until age 14. He never got to pitch one inning during those All Star games because the coach didn't think he threw hard enough. He was a small and skinny late developer.

Most of the other All Star pitchers were early developers. One was nearly 6 ft tall. My son eventually overtook all of them by sophomore year of high school and none of those Little League All Star pitchers ended up pitching high school varisty baseball.

The point is work on pitching mechanics, teach them how to pitch by locating their fastballs and changing speeds. When their growth kicks in those skills will help them more than you will ever know…especially after their velocity gets bumped up rapidly. How? From using their better mechanics along with their growth and development. There is no way to rush that.

For parents of late developers it is important that they explain this to their kids. You can't rush Mother Nature and if your son is a late developing baseball pitcher it is important that you instill the "love of the game" and continue to help him build his mechanical skills…which can keep him very effective until his growth picks him up.

Parents must understand that baseball pitching is a skill activity and that all youth baseball pitchers need instruction and even more so as they grow because from one year to the next during those growing years…these kids become completely different human beings with longer arm and legs. That's why pitching mechanics during these years is so important because when lever lengths change (arms and legs) so doesn't tempo, rhythm and timing. And so won't their mechanics and that's why continuous booster sessions on mechanics are important from year to year.

Parents of youth baseball pitchers need to understand the role that growth and development plays on their children's ability to succeed at early ages. The gauge that many use to define their son's ability is baseball pitching velocity.

Too many parents are overly concerned that because their Little League baseball pitcher does not throw with good velocity now that he will not be able to later. Or conversely, because a Little League baseball pitcher throws with above average pitching velocity now that this will ensure that he will be able to continue right on through high school.

Most of the Little League baseball pitchers who throw with above average pitching velocity are early developing kids. They are usually bigger and stronger than most of the other Little League baseball pitchers in their league. And because these early developers are bigger and stronger parents—fathers mostly faulsely believe that their bigger and stronger kids should be training like fully developed high school pitchers. Unfortunately because of this, these early developing kids end up injured more often because although they may look fully developed their bones are still soft so their growth plates are at risk of being injured.

These early developers will have success early but this is no guarantee that they will stay ahead of the pack…or the late developers. But fathers continue to overwork them…throwing in the backyard, even have them throw weighted baseballs and overdoing weight training…all designed so they can continue to have an edge. However, this overuse is what produces so many arm injuries early.

These early developed Little League baseball pitchers… because they have a physical size advantage often perform better than late maturing baseball pitchers. They will experience early success due to a physical growth advantage but not because of enhanced pitching skills.

And the late maturers experience less success, more failure and frustration simply because they are physically "behind" their same age peers.

The bottom line here that parents need to understand is that performance can be influenced by maturity level…which is totally out of the young pitcher's control.

Now here is what parents and their late developing baseball pitchers need to understand. Late developers often catch up to or exceed overall pitching performance of the early developed pitchers by mid-teen years…if they have not dropped out of baseball because of unrealistic performance expectations by themselves or their parents.

Unfortunately…many of these late developing pitchers get cut from teams or get less playing time…even though they have some success but do not throw hard enough for some coaches. It's apparent then that coaches also understand growth and development as much as parents.

Here is what is interesting. They have tracked "outstanding" kids of elementary age and found that only 25% were still outstanding in later years…obviously suggesting that early success is not a predictor of later success…such as pitching on the high school team.

What is most important in all of this is that all youth baseball pitchers should focus on building mechanical skills first. Many early developing baseball pitchers do not learn good pitching mechanics because their size is what contibutes to their velocity…so parents erroneously believe that they do not need instruction.

This past week I spoke to a father who was inquiring about our Explosive Pitching instructional DVD's and wasn't so sure his son needed them because he was a 12 year old throwing 68 mph. He said "If it ain't broke why fix it." I then explained what you have just read that his son's success now may not be an indication of later success unless he continues to monitor his pitching mechanics.

My son was one of those late developing kids who was always the third best pitcher in Little League. As an 11 year old he was the 9th player selected on the All Stars out of 14 kids. However, he was not selected because of his velocity but because his skill allowed him to throw with good control and change speeds. He never got to pitch one inning during those All Star games because the coach didn't think he threw hard enough. He was a skinny late developer.

Most of the other All Star pitchers were early developers. One was nearly 6 ft tall. My son eventually overtook all of them by sophomore year of high school and none of those Little League All Star pitchers ended up pitching high school varisty baseball.

The point is work on pitching mechanics, teach them how to pitch by locating their fastballs and changing speeds. When their growth kicks in those skills will help them more than you will ever know…especially after their velocity gets bumped up rapidly. How? From using their better mechanics along with their growth and development. There is no way to rush that.

For parents of late developers it is important that they explain this to their kids. You can't rush Mother Nature and if your son is a late developing baseball pitcher it is important that you instill the "love of the game" and continue to help him build his mechanical skills…which can keep him very effective until his growth picks him up.

Parents must understand that baseball pitching is a skill activity and that all youth baseball pitchers need instruction and even more so as they grow because from one year to the next during those growing years…these kids become complelely different human beings with longer arm and legs. That's why pitching mechanics during these years is so important because when lever lengths change (arms and legs) so doesn't tempo, rhythm and timing.

Dick Mills www.pitching.nexcess.net

If you have questions about this blog post or on any phase of pitching—mechanics, strength and conditioning, mental training, strategy send those questions to dickmills@gmail.com and I will answer them here.

If you want an explosive body and explosive mechanics you need to get my Free Report atwww.pitching.nexcess.net. We won't waste your time. We show you how to recognize exactly what is holding back most pitchers…find the problem—fix the problem. I show you a comparison between two high school pitchers and a major league pitcher who throws mid to upper nineties. You will see the biggest problem that reduces velocity in the majority of pitchers.

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