Inside the Cupboard

Basketball has come and gone for the 2025-26 and America’s sport is heating up and it’s still February.

Baseball and softball at middle and high school level is in full swing. This year is full of high hopes from across the county and I wish the very best for each and every player. With that being said, parents listen or in this case read and read it again please.

Kids develop at different ages and that’s a proven fact. One thing that is also proven is you as a parent are responsible for your child - not his coach, not his trainer but YOU! If your child is an athlete, read everything you can get your hands on about the sport he chooses. If it’s multiple sports, learn about them all. But since it’s baseball season, I am going to address the care of arms.

Softball pitchers are in a different class than baseball pitchers. Softball pitchers throw at a normal motion. Baseball pitchers throw at an opposite motion, totally unorthodox for arm movement.

Pitchers usually start throwing at age nine when they enter kid pitch leagues and the rules are varied from Dixie Dean, Dixie Youth, Cal Ripkin, Little League and the list goes on. Some are by innings which is not the best way in my opinion and some are by pitch count.

Pitch count is by far the most accurate IF your counter knows every pitch that leaves the pitcher’s hand is counted. I actually had a gentleman sitting beside me at a game many moons ago and I made the statement I couldn’t believe the coach and the parents were okay with him throwing over 100 pitches.

He looked at me like I had a third eye and said, “He’s only thrown 71 pitches.” I looked at my clicker and double-checked my book and said, “Well I show him at over 100.” After additional conversation, we were both right - he had thrown 71 pitches but he had also thrown another 30 plus pitches that were fouled off!

It’s the same motion, same whether the batter swings, hits it, or stands there like a statute and takes a ball or a strike. For all parents of future pitchers, I know dads are supposed to be the authority on sports but please take this to heart.

My son had an awesome pitching coach and he was blessed with good coaches most of his playing time. There is no good way to throw a curve ball before you’re arm is developed and that usually occurs around age 14. Some of the wisest words I ever hear were, “If a 12-year old can’t get a batter out on a fastball or a change up, let him find another position on the field.” That’s a fact and that’s the way it is from Inside the Cupboard.