Disability Study Proposal

It is extremely difficult to maintain arm health for a full season. Because of the increased average velocity and innings thrown throughout pitchers in the major leagues, a higher percentage of pitchers have encountered injuries in the elbow and UCL reconstruction is necessary to continue their baseball career. Tearing of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) is a very severe injury and requires surgery or reconstruction of the ligament in order to throw again.The recovery process is long and grueling and can have an effect on the mental aspect of throwing a baseball with intent or maximum effort. In “ Biomechanical Performance of Baseball Pitchers with a History of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction” Fleisig, Laughlin, Aune, and colleagues claim that this tentative attribute inhibits biomechanics of throwing the baseball such as stride length, tilt of pitch, velocity, and noticeably different shoulder and elbow mechanics (Fleisig, Laughlin, Aune, et. al., 2015, page 1045). However, these Orthopedic Surgeons and Baseball Medical Officials performed a study that demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the biomechanics of pitchers with reconstructive surgery and those without it. Being able to return to an equal or higher level of play after surgery and rehabilitation is possible and players are not at a

Pitchers don’t see the struggle your arm is going through when they keep pitching through it. “"It really was a battle every time out. There was a string of games where I had to give some extra effort late.”” He was pitching through the pain. “As a pitcher in the big leagues you're dealing with minute aches all the time.” Your arm usually hurts when you pitch without a break. Pitchers should rest when their arms are giving them

However, many doctors including Dr. Jobee believe that any post- surgical increases in performance are mostlikely due to the increased stablity of the elbow joint and pitches’ increased attention to their fitness and condition. Doctor Jobe believed that, rather than allowing pitchers to gain velocity, the surgery and rehab protocols merely allow pitchers to return to their pre-injury levels of performance. (WebMD editors ,

Along with the throwing arm, one of the largest areas where injuries occur happens to be one of the largest parts of the body, the trunk. Trunk injuries have one of the highest percentages of any injuries in major league baseball. With the help of measurements that can be taken between the pelvis and upper trunk, Exercise Scientists are able to calculate measurements including the maximum trunk rotation and angular acceleration of the trunk. Front foot contact for pitching, and after ball contact for batters is the most demanding instance for the trunk and spine, thus placing more stress on those areas during that time. Although it is impossible to calculate the amount of stress the abdominal muscles repetitively go through during pitching

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations studying in California, “1.5 million preadolescent and adolescent boys participate in high school football” (qtd. “Injuries”). That is a lot of students at risk for injury while playing high school sports. In the two seasons of high school football seasons observed in California, “players sustained 25.5 injuries per 100 players” (“Injuries”). With all those injuries, students are likely out of the game and are possibly hampered in other parts of their life, adjusting to their injury. With these injuries on young bodies, they can cause many problems in the future. The issue of injuries to students participating in high school sports cannot be ignored.

My overall population consists of competitive baseball pitchers from age 8 to age 40. I would expect that most, if not all of this population will be male, as most baseball players are boys/men. There will be varying geographic locations, however a correlation has been found in Tommy John surgery incidence in pitchers from warm weather climates.4 There will also be a varying social economic status in this population, although I would expect that more surgeries are performed on those of higher SES due to the fact that professional players make high salaries, and those of low SES may not be able to afford the surgery.

Turn on SportsCenter or Fox Sports during baseball season and you'll hear three words that used to spark fear in the hearts of players, Tommy John surgery. “Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) commonly known as Tommy John surgery, is performed on both recreational and high-level athletes,” (Erickson, Nwachukwu, Rosas, Schairer, McCormick, Bach Jr, & Romeo, 2015). This procedure is commonly done on pitchers, because of the excessive use of their throwing arm, affecting the elbow. The process consists of replacing a ligament in the elbow with a tendon from another area of the body or from cadavers. When someone has Tommy John surgery they are no longer able to participate in baseball for one year. However, with the advances in this medical procedure, it has extended the careers of numerous pitchers, and in some cases improved their pitching. Due to the possibility of enhanced results, a troubling trend has developed in youth baseball. Parents and coaches are encouraging their players to go under the knife in their early teens just so they will not have to worry about elbow issues in the future. High school players who are perfectly healthy are having this procedure done at an alarming rate.

Over the course of baseballs long existence it has been a very laid back sport with only minor injuries. But in the last decade or so the injuries have been popping up all over. Definitely the most common one being the tearing of the ucl tendon in the arm. This injury takes time to tear and it usually starts to hurt before the ligament actually snaps. “Most commonly, there is a gradual onset of elbow pain due to repetitive stresses on the ligament”(Hopkins Medicine). But there are cases where thee injury can be sudden and happen on one pitch. There have been more and more of these injuries but the biggest shock is the amount of young kids dealing with pain in their elbows. This is an effect of year round baseball, because the kids and teens are not getting their proper rest in between pitch outings. Also their coaches could be pushing them to pitch more innings and throw more pitches. But not only are young people getting these injuries older pros are also. There has been a substantial increase in

One of the reasons that pitches are becoming faster and stronger than in years past is that they are starting to learn the game from a young age. When you see a professional pitcher take the mound, there’s a good chance he or she has been playing since they were tiny. Many kids start with t-ball between the ages of three and six, graduating to baseball soon after. That means that kids start building muscle mass, bone strength, and coordination early. Of course, even athletes that start a little later can still have professional careers. Young athletes who start playing in middle or high school join the athletic culture and learn the importance of practicing consistently and training their muscles.

It is a game of inches played nearly everywhere by every age. From backyards to little league parks and professional stadiums, by tee-ball playing kindergartners to old-timer leagues, baseball is a game that is considered America’s pastime for a good reason. Baseball, and simply sports in general, help teach many important life lessons such as hard work, sportsmanship and dedication. These qualities, along with many other things, are necessary for success in today’s world. The sport of baseball is very popular in other countries as well, and for many of the youth in these countries, it represents a way out. A way out from the poverty and crime and a way to a better life here in America. Out of all of the opportunities afforded to me

Objective: Little leaguer’s should is the common name for proximal humeral epiphysiolysis. It is most common in youth throwing athletes because of their growth plates are more vulnerable to being injured. Youth baseball players are the demographic in which this injury is the most common. This study is important because it helps you see the predispositions for this injury and the sign and symptoms that can all help you find the best treatment. This article is also helpful in making a treatment and rehabilitation plan. However, even though we know this injury is more common in youth baseball players, we don’t know the exact cause of little leaguer’s elbow.

Inner city baseball teams, promote a positive environment for children and young adults to help prevent and reduce the rise in city crime rate. In many eyes, the people of America value baseball as the number one sport nationwide. Many Americans live for the crack of a bat when it makes contact with the ball, or for the thrill of predicting on where the balls going to land or if the team player is going to catch the “pop fly”. Baseball is a sport played by some and watched by millions. Baseball is a sport that requires nothing less than high quality team work, hand eye coordination, and chomping on a stick of “big chew gum”. It’s every minor baseball players dream to make it into the major leagues, and to hit a home run or a grand

These injuries develop over time (page 13). So even if you don't practice everyday for hours on end, you are still at risk for an injury. "'I felt a sharp pain–like a knife–on my elbow, says Kellen, now 20. 'It hurt too much to play.' I sat in the dugout for the game, hoping it wasn't a big deal.' (Page 12)." This detail shows how the injury felt and how it affected him in the moment. But overuse injuries don't only affect you during the sport that caused it. They can affect your ability to walk, run or even use your hands (fine motor skills). "You could miss an entire season, end your sports career or even jeopardize your ability to do normal activities like running and jumping...they can affect your life. (Page 13)" "You are particularly vulnerable to these injuries, thanks to a growth spurt that occurs during puberty. This growth spurt creates tension and instability in the muscles and tendons, making them more fragile and more susceptible to pulls or strains. " Years of training can cause overuse injuries, "a problem plaguing teens across the country (page 14)", because our bodies are not yet ready to handle the intensity of the practice required to "go pro". But this wasn't always the case. "Youth sports are a far cry from the days when kids played mainly for fun, and and experts warn that this seismic cultural shift is harming a generation of growing bodies. (Page 13)" Because

Most people think that the initiative program would be a very huge success for youths and parents in the non formalized baseball games. Major League Baseball said that participation in alqqqqqql of the major team sports has dropped in recent years. Among children six to seventeen, baseball ranked ahead of soccer and football in participation.However, it ranked behind basketball. Most people believe baseball does not have a lot of protecting gear and think that their child could get seriously hurt by a baseball.

America’s baseball diamonds, soccer fields, hockey rinks, and basketball courts have never been so busy with children. The number of kids involved in an organized sport is not what is so groundbreaking. It’s the way in which children are playing or how their parents are arranging for them to play that may be cause for concern (Ferguson). Much controversy surrounds youth sports with the biggest disagreements coming over parental involvement and the intensity of play. Although there are many benefits for team participation, there is a growing fear that the negatives are starting to outweigh the positives.