For the sake of time, let’s focus on developing strength gains during this period. Start your off-season training from October to December by building a general fitness base, in which adaptation, hypertrophy and strength are the main priorities. Divide this period into training cycles 0f 6-8 weeks with one (1) week rest periods during the end of each cycle. Focus on developing proper technique in each lift. Anatomical adaptation should be the focus during the first several weeks of the off-season phase. Let the tendons. ligaments and muscles adapt to the load before increasing weight in your routine. Follow the progressive overload principle to allow for continuous improvement of strength gains. Make sure you are consistent as you increase the load of the exercises and attack each workout with the greatest of intensity.

 The Pre-season cycle should be from January through February, begin right after the holiday season and last till tryouts in March. This phase will allow the athlete to transfer off-season training to the playing field – developing functional speed, strength, and power. The objective of the pre-season is to acclimate the athlete to the rigors of a playing season through strength training, speed, agility, quickness, position-specific conditioning, baseball-specific movements and drills. The early season phase will get the athlete ready to proceed smoothly into the season. The priority of this phase is to make sure the athletes are recovering properly through adequate hydration and post –workout flexibility. The strength training aspect will take a back seat to fundamental skills and position-specific conditioning. But this does not mean that you should eliminate strength training from your routine. Just make sure that the volume and intensity of your workouts is reduced to allow for total recovery from practices or scrimmages.

 The in-season phase from march to June, is designed to improve performance, reduce the risk of injury, and maintain sports-specific strength, speed, and power that has been developed throughout the off and pre-season. You must strength train 1-2 times a week to allow for off-season gains to be consistent throughout the season and playoffs. Make sure you keep an eye out for players that get banged up or are overused during the season. You will have to adjust programs for individual players that might need one on one attention. Pitchers will need specific programs for the shoulders, low back and lower body in between starts and games. Always remember that an injured body part does not mean an injured body. Adjustments can be made to the program to cover most, if not all injuries.

SportsOneSource Media

A motion by attorneys for Louisville Slugger to throw out a jury verdict that found them liable for a 2003 baseball player’s death has been denied by a district judge in Montana.

In the motion, Louisville Slugger argued that attorneys for the parents of Miles City baseball pitcher Brandon Patch failed to produce evidence that had a warning been given, Patch would have changed his actions to avoid injury, according to the Billings Gazette.

The American Legion baseball player died after he was struck by a ball that was hit by an aluminum bat. Patch’s parents sued the company in 2006. The suit went to trial in October. After 12 hours of deliberation, a jury sided with the Patches and awarded them $850,000. The jury ruled that while the bat was not defective in design, the ordinary user was not properly warned of its dangers.

In the ruling, District Judge Kathy Seeley dismissed arguments citing a prior case in which the person was injured but not killed. Testimony in the trial gave evidence that Patch would follow guidelines and rules and therefore would have altered his actions if a warning had been given, Seeley ruled.

“The Court has not been able to locate any Montana cases that are analogous to the case at bar with respect to the failure to warn involving a deceased plaintiff, and the parties have cited none,” the order stated.

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In May of 2009, I was doing a research project on aluminum versus wooden bats and found it to be a hot topic pinning local governments, bat companies, and the USA Baseball Youth Commission. USA Baseball came out with a position paper (http://tinyurl.com/USA-Baseball-Statement) on behalf of  the AABC, AAU, NABF, USSSA and T-Ball USA.

Read my post on the link above and see what you think. Whatever the case may be, this is going to be a long battle that will set the precedent to many of the lawsuits around the country.

Having played little league baseball, we always understood the dangers of aluminum bats and the speed at which the ball explodes off the bat, but in my humble opinion, I don’t see why we would eliminate the aluminum bat completely from youth baseball.

By Communications Division
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
January 11, 2010

Ever since Little League debuted baseball for teenagers 50 years ago, the standard infield has featured a pitching distance of 60 feet, six inches, and base paths of 90 feet – the same size as a professional baseball infield.

The program grew over the years to its current status as the largest teenage baseball program in the world. A few years ago, Little League added the option of allowing 12-year-old players to “play up” in the Junior League Division for Regular Season and Tournament Play.

Now, in an effort to further ease the transition from the standard Little League field size (46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot base paths), Little League is offering a pilot program for league age 12- and 13-year-olds. The pilot program will be conducted on fields that feature a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths. The pilot program will be available to all Little League programs worldwide for the 2010 season.

“We have seen more requests for the intermediate-size field recently,” Patrick Wilson, Little League Vice President of Operations, said. “We are constantly looking for ways to provide more flexibility and to respond to the needs our local leagues. For those leagues with the ability to create a new field for this program, or to modify an existing field, we hope this will be another way to provide an enjoyable experience for the families in their community.”

Additionally, base runners will be permitted to lead off in the 50-70 Pilot Program (requiring pitchers to hold runners on base), runners may attempt stealing at any time, and head-first sliding is permitted. In the Little League division, runners cannot leave the base until the ball reaches the batter, and sliding must be feet-first unless the runner is retreating to a base.

Also for the 50-70 Pilot Program – unlike the Little League division – the batter becomes a runner on a dropped third strike, the bat can have a diameter of 2 5/8 inches, and the on-deck batter is permitted.

Each league wishing to participate in the 50-70 Pilot Program is required to enroll with Little League International prior to initiating the program. At the conclusion of the regular season, each participating league will be required to complete a post-season survey detailing the benefits and challenges.

“We will take the information gathered, work with the leagues and districts, and make a decision on how to move forward in 2011,” Mr. Wilson said. “If the 50-70 Pilot Program proves to be successful, our plan is to offer a full range of tournament play.”

For 2010, there will not be a separate level in the International Tournament for the 50-70 Pilot Program. However, local leagues and districts that are participating in the program will be able to organize tournaments using a Special Games Request Form.

Any player who participates in the pilot program during the regular season will be eligible to participate simultaneously in the Little League Division (for players ages 9-12) or the Junior League Division (12-14). Such a player will be eligible for selection to either age-appropriate International Tournament Team.

However, a player who participates solely in the 50-70 Pilot Program also will be eligible based on his/her age for selection to a team participating in the International Tournament under guidelines established for player eligibility. 

Here are some additional details:

• Leagues will be allowed to operate under interleague play and combined teams.  However, players will only be eligible for tournament in the league where they reside.
• Leagues will be allowed to structure the 50-70 Pilot Program so that their typical season is conducted, for example, on Monday through Friday. Then on Saturday and Sunday, leagues could offer the pilot program to players who wish to participate. All pitching guidelines apply.
• Participating leagues (and districts with participating leagues) will be permitted to organize tournaments using a Special Games Request Form for players in the 50-70 Pilot Program. Players may participate in both Special Games and the International Tournament under guidelines established in the Baseball Rulebook.

Later this month, Little League International will provide leagues with the procedure for participating in the 50-70 Pilot Program.