“Travel ball and those elite summer teams is where we’re really having trouble, because what we know from epidemiological work at the high schools is that girls who had more seasonal exposure - in other words, more pitches per season - were at a higher risk,” said Steve Jordan, MD, an Orthopedic Surgeon for the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fla. It’s not uncommon for a high school pitcher to throw every game of her high school season and then pitch dozens of times during the travel season. Thomas.Īnother concern is the sheer amount of times softball pitchers are called to the mound. “There’s this conception that softball pitchers don’t get injured, but biomechanics studies have shown that throwing a pitch underhand is equally as stressful as throwing an overhand pitch to the shoulder, and in fact, it has a higher rate of stress to the biceps tendon than an overhand throw,” said Dr. Although softball pitchers use an underhand throw, Kristen Thomas, MD, an Orthopedic Surgeon at Legacy Health in Portland, Ore., states that players still get injured and require surgery. One of the concerns is that overuse can stem from the arm mechanics of throwing a softball. No matter what, the arm needs time to rest, and that has to be addressed.” “The main factor in those resulting injuries is chronic overuse, period. “We’re abusing softball pitchers’ shoulders because we’re not allowing them to recover appropriately from the stress incurred during a game,” Dr. In his view, softball pitchers face the same risk for overuse injuries than baseball pitchers. Stephen Nicholas, MD, Director of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City, disagrees. “I’m definitely not the only pitcher in the state who feels that and who feels like I can throw all the games when it matters most.” “I know I’ve prepared myself to throw as much as I have this season, and I always want the ball,” Kilponen said. ![]() Ali Kilponen, who plays softball for Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colo., said she pitched every inning this season and feels comfortable doing so. There are many different perspectives to take into consideration.Īccording to The Denver Post, many softball players and their coaches believe that softball pitchers, unlike their baseball counterparts, are not at risk of injury from throwing too many balls. Coaches, athletes, and sports medicine professionals are debating whether a pitch count limit is necessary for the health and safety of softball players.
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