Lots of excitement

In practice yesterday, I focused primarily on rise, change-up and inside curve.  I did do some power drills but spent more time focusing on the front leg: it seems to be improving somewhat, but it can use more work and attention.  A strong front leg helps the throwing side to accelerate at the end of the pitch and create a nice whip.  Right now, I think that I am slowly slightly at the end and this can certainly improve.  I am very happy to report that, after throwing for about an hour yesterday, I am actually not sore at all!  I was able to do a leg workout today without feeling completely overworked.  This speaks for the body's wonderful ability to adapt to new movements over a few weeks.   This is also why weight training regimens should be reevaluated and  changed frequently: our bodies adapt to the work loads we present, rendering the routine it adapted to less effective (in the training world, we call this "General Adaptation Syndrome").  It is also why it is important to allow ample time to build up pitch counts leading up to the season: we don't want to feel sore and exhausted for those first few games of the season.  We also want to make sure that our endurance is where it should be.
Apart from making good progress in my little preseason experiment this week, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do a presentation on pitching for Sayville Little League.  They were gracious and very attentive hosts, so we were able to cover a lot of information and dispel a lot of misconceptions.  I am always so excited to do this type of work.  I hope that, over the next few years, I will get to do more seminars and lectures about pitching and college recruiting.  I love informing parents and coaches about all of the different elements involved in successful pitching mechanics and successful college careers.  Creating a dialogue with different coaches and parents is so wonderful.  At the presentation last night, we established precedents for what girls in Little League should be working on and accomplishing.  We also reviewed the most important mechanics for young girls.  Fortunately, the topic of pitch counts did arise, and I think that there is finally some awareness out there about the strain that the windmill pitching motion puts on the arm.  We will certainly know even more about this topic over the coming months, as the Lenox Hill study progresses (keep checking back here for updates!).  Varsity games and scrimmages are also beginning to get underway, so I will keep you all posted about the wonderful and interesting details in the coming weeks.  I am also looking forward to seeing some of the articles that I have written for local baseball/softball magazines (The Sandlot and Baseball Player Magazine), since new issues of both periodicals should be out in the coming weeks.  Check my facility for the new issues!