Sussex County Sports Blog

By Dan Cleary

7/13/2008 - Safety First For Little Leaguers

The sport of baseball has always proven to be a very fertile area for Hollywood producers over the years.

From comedy classics like “Bull Durham” and “Major League” (but not any of its insufferable sequels) to tearjerker epics like “Field of Dreams” and “The Natural” as well as the underrated, but very stirring, “Bang the Drum Slowly,” baseball movies have been a staple of moviegoers for years.

But there is one baseball movie that anyone who has ever put on a pair of cleats and worn an oversized jersey with a local business’ name emblazoned on the back can relate to: “The Bad News Bears.”

The 1976 film staring the late, great Walter Matthau as the washed-up, boozy former minor-leaguer coaching a bunch of incorrigible Little Leaguers was one of the most realistic sports movies ever made, in my opinion. It captured the Little League experience, although it was a bit exaggerated, and is a definite slice of Americana.

There is one scene in the movie that will always stick out in my mind, however, and it is the disturbing scene of when the manager of the Yankees slaps his own son on the field. It is a chilling reminder of how out of control some parents can get when watching their children play.

And with Little League district and section tournaments under way around the state this week, this is a perfect time to put into perspective what Little League baseball is all about. It is about fun, learning the basics of baseball, and most importantly, learning the life lessons of sportsmanship and how to win and how to lose with grace and class.

I’ve seen a lot of Little League games over the years as a reporter and a fan, and for the most part, the parents have not been out of control. Sure, you hear the typical grumblings from parents who feel their kid isn’t being used properly and the complaints about the “politics” of Little League.

Only once did I witness an ugly scene and that was over 10 years ago in the District 20 11-12 finals at Station Park in Sparta. Things got heated when a couple players were hit by pitches and accusations started flying and the umpires had to eject a few fans and coaches and the Sparta police were called.

As far as I can recall, no charges were filed and everything was back to normal the next night. I was reminded of that story when The Record of Hackensack ran a terrific two-part series this past week on parent behavior and effects of pitching on young arms.

According to the article, in a 2003 survey of 3,300 parents, 84.2 percent have witnessed violent parental behavior (shouting, berating, abusive language) toward children, team coaches or officials at youth sporting events.

Now what defines “violent parental behavior” is not explained in the survey, but no matter what, that is a staggering number. And here is the topper: 80 percent of those surveyed claimed to be a victim of such behavior. That is completely unacceptable.

Like I stated before, besides the incident in Sparta, I have never witnessed any outrageous behavior and that is a credit to the parents, coaches and administrators in the county. That is not to say it hasn’t happened in the county, I’m just saying, thankfully, I haven’t seen it.

But it was second part of the series that intrigued me and is a must read for any parent or coach whose child pitches. The article detailed how throwing too many pitches or the wrong type of pitches, such as curveballs or sliders, can put undue stress on a young pitcher’s arms and shoulders.

A couple of years ago, Little League enacted a pitch count that was based on the player’s age. For example, 9-10 year-olds can only pitch a maximum of 75 pitches in any one outing and must have specific amount of rest before they can pitch again. In some cases, they must sit out one game, even if there is a week break between games.

The pitch count rises as the player gets older with 17-18 year-olds playing in the Senior Division having a 105-pitch limit. I know a lot of coaches have complained about the rule, saying that the innings limit in place before was sufficient and that pitch counts are overkill.

But according to quotes attributed to Dr. Glenn Flesig of the American Sports Medicine Institute in Alabama in the article, pitch counts are a necessary tool in protecting young arms from overzealous coaches and parents and I couldn’t agree more.

In my experience, I know players whose arms have never been the same from overuse at the Little League and the high school level. In the long run, the kids pitching today hopefully will have less arm trouble in the future because the stress on their growing bodies was lessened.

Now when pitchers become fully physically mature, I don’t think pitch counts are necessary. But until they are 18, pitching limits, be it a pitch count or innings limitations, are needed.

There is nothing wrong with teaching a youngster how to throw a curve, but making it a major part of their pitching arsenal in unconscionable. Throwing too many breaking pitches is a risky proposition for an adult, let alone a pre-teen.

I remember covering Sparta in the Section 1 tournament many years ago, and the team was loaded with talent. But in Sussex County, most coaches didn’t allow their kids to throw a lot breaking pitches, including Sparta. When Sparta came across a team with less talent, but had a kid who threw a nose-to-toes hook, the kids from Sparta were doomed. They had the worst case of jelly-leg I had ever seen because they had never seen the hook before.

After the game, I remember the Sparta coaches telling me they would rather lose and keep their kids safe, than win with the risk of injury. I’ll always remember that. Those kids were lucky to have responsible adults running the show.

And things have not changed over the years. One of my old high school buddies coaches in Sparta today and he told me that they had to bring in a couple of high school kids and a college player to throw curves to his players to get them ready for the section tourney because breaking pitches are a rarity in the county.

What a shame. Too bad the rest of the state doesn't follow Sussex County's lead when it comes to throwing breaking pitches. I know I have lamented several times in previous blogs about how youth and high school sports have become too pressurized. Now I’m not some hippie who wants everyone to be a winner and that we shouldn’t keep score. Competition is good for the soul and the development of character. It just shouldn’t be at the risk of a young athlete’s future.

That’s it for now, see you on the sidelines.

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Sussex County Sports Blog

By Dan Cleary

7/13/2008 - Safety First For Little Leaguers