For safety's sake, parents should count pitches

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2006 | by Dick Patrick

There are three necessities for a youth pitcher to stay healthy, according to former major league pitcher and coach Tom House.

"The only hope a young pitcher has is to make sure you match up his workload -- which is pitch totals -- with functional strength and sound mechanics," says House, who has produced books, videos and DVDs on the topic.

The easiest task for a parent is monitoring pitch count. A $10 tally counter works fine, though there are more expensive digital models.

"Every mom and dad should have a pitch counter and follow the guidelines that are pretty standard for different age groups," House says. "It takes no talent, no coaching experience or knowledge of mechanics to count pitches."

Two other topics that can be important:

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