The Pitch Smart Guidelines were developed as part of a collaborative effort between USA Baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB) to promote the health and safety of youth pitchers.
The guidelines were introduced in 2014 as a resource for parents, coaches, and players to help reduce the risk of overuse injuries, particularly arm injuries such as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) damage, which has been associated with the rise in Tommy John surgeries.
The Pitch Smart program was developed through medical research, expert opinions from sports medicine professionals, and data collected from youth baseball organizations.
The guidelines are based on studies demonstrating that excessive pitching, especially at a young age, significantly increases the risk of injuries. Recommendations are tailored for various age groups, recognizing the developmental differences in young athletes.
At the high school level, playing travel baseball and attending college camps and showcases is a necessary part of the recruiting process. But, with no required pitching guidelines to help protect pitchers, this all too often leads to overuse and injury. Year after year, there are countless stories of pitchers leaving their high school team healthy only to return with an arm injury or having had surgery.
Current research shows that high school pitchers have significantly more pitching violations outside of the high school season which puts them at a much higher risk of injury than during the season.
It's easy to see why high school baseball is the safest place for pitchers.
So, how do we bridge this gap and protect pitchers when playing travel and showcasing? With PitchKount.
The PitchKount system is trusted by thousands of high schools across the country to monitor pitcher workload during the season and can then be used in the off-season to provide players and parents with the information they need to continue following their state's pitching guidelines.
It's a well documented fact that arm inury rates to youth pitchers continue to rise. Why is this?
Numerous studies indicate that chronic overuse is the single biggest factor to arm injuries and that adherence to the Pitch Smart program is woefully lacking. This is especially damaging for youth pichers who are not yet skeletally mature. Thus, they do not possess fully developed ligaments, bones, muscles and motor control. Medical science tells us that this doesn't occur until around age 18, which means that extra care must be taken with youth pitchers and players.
So, the problem is not that the Pitch Smart program is ineffective.
It's that, by in large, it is ignored and not followed correctly.
But, what if there was an easy to use tool that simplified the process for parents and coaches? One that put the Pitch Smart recommendations right at their fingertips? Well, there is.
PitchKount's revolutionary year-round monitoring program makes it simple for parents and coaches to follow the Pitch Smart program all year long and across a player's full amature career.
The PitchKount system offers various methods for recording accurate pitch count data with each having its own verification process.
If there is a dispute about the pitcher(s) and/or their recorded pitch count, PitchKount provides a specific process to investigate and resolve the issue.
Not with PitchKount, it automatically performs these functions for you. Using the verified data and your specific Athletic Association’s rules, PitchKount determines each pitcher’s “Next Available Date” and provides this information to you in a daily Pitching Report.
PitchKount provides each team with a Pitching Report that lists those players who are not eligible to pitch. This report updates daily and coaches can print it out or use a mobile device to access it from the dugout.
With PitchKount, you can view your opponent’s current Pitching Report. Any listed players are not eligible to pitch that day. Print a copy for the dugout or pull it up using your mobile device. Either way, you’re in the know.
Great question, because pitch count rules apply for pitchers across all levels. No worries though, PitchKount tracks all your pitchers and puts this information at your fingertips every day via the Pitching Report.
PitchKount verifies the accuracy of the recorded data, automatically determines each pitcher’s “Next Available Date” and then provides each team’s Pitching Report for all to see. Because of these checks and balances, PitchKount puts all teams on a level playing field.
PitchKount provides each player with an Individual Player Card detailing the dates he pitched and the number of pitches thrown. It lists the dates in chronological order and season by season. You’ll easily be able to show a player’s workload over time. This information can also assist coaches in managing individual players and/or see trends in a player’s performance.
Quite the contrary, it reduces it. As a cloud based, independent application that does not require any type of download or software installation, PitchKount provides a low-touch, comprehensive solution to managing pitch count rules. Coaches and Athletic Associations won’t be tasked with record keeping, verifying data or determining required days of rest. PitchKount will lessen the load on coaches and Athletic Associations.
Each year, the PitchKount system is updated with each Athletic Association’s current rules. So, as rules change and evolve over time, so will PitchKount!
No. PitchKount is a web based application that can be accessed from any computer or mobile device that has an internet connection.
