10 Ways To Prevent Injuries In Baseball

By Guest
Updated: February 25, 2017

Tips To Stay Safe And Enjoy Baseball All Year

Baseball players are at the risk of incurring constant and recurring as well as acute injuries as a result of overuse of the hand muscles and joints. Additionally, overworking of the body muscles and lack of the proper protective gear also result to injuries. However, with the right coaching and following the correct guidelines, cases of injured players are significantly reduced and the players get to enjoy the game with little or no injuries. This article gives a list of ten ways on how to prevent injuries in baseball.

1. Schedule time for breaks and rest
Overuse of the body muscles is one of the major causes of injuries for baseball players resulting to pain in the shoulders and the arms. This is experienced in the cases where players get engaged in a number of teams and therefore have to be in the game through out the year following an overlapping program. Lack of time to rest and give the body time to re-energize leads to injuries as the tissues continually get worn out without recovery.

2. Acquire safety gear

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Just like any other game, baseball has a set of protective gear that every player must have. This include batting gloves, padded sliding pants, helmet, elbow pads among others. Every player must ensure that he or she is in the correct protective gear before getting into the pitch in order to eliminate any chances of injury when he or she falls down or hit by the ball.

3. Purchase high quality baseball equipment
Baseball lovers can testify that it is one of the most enjoyable games and it brings a sense of satisfaction to the players. With this in mind therefore, it is worth investing in the highest quality equipment so as to enjoy it to the fullest and eliminate any chances of injury as a result of low quality equipment. Every player must invest in high quality youth baseball bats, gloves, catcher equipment, cleats as well as any other necessary equipment. High quality equipment enhance comfort and safety for the players.

4. Encourage players rotation

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Every couch should ensure that one player does not stay in one position for long especially when there are a series of games taking place for a long time. This is important because pitching over-strains the arm muscles and therefore when a pitcher stays in this position for too long, it is likely that the muscles will get overworked and this would lead to injury.

5. Play on an even field
Uneven surfaces, rocky fields or pits in the field pose a great threat to the players as they are likely to fall or trip over time and again in the field. Players must ensure that the playing field is free from rocks, the surface is even and that there are no pits around before starting any game. This ensures that there are no injuries incurred even when the players fall as there are no objects to hit them.

6. Warm up and proper training
Warming up well before starting the game give a player’s body adequate energy to start the game as it helps in increasing blood circulation as well as preparing the muscle for the action. A vibrant body is less likely to get injured as it is already used to the vigorous movement as opposed to a body that has just come from resting. Additionally, poor pitching can result to dislocation in the shoulder area or tear in the lining of the muscles. Proper training ensures that every player is equipped with the right pitching technique and therefore eliminates chances of injury.

7. Take care of the head
Head is one of the most sensitive parts of the body and an injury on it would be too critical. In baseball, every player must take extra care of the head as it is more susceptible to serious injury. This is made possible by use of helmets for both batters and catchers. Moreover,base runners should also not run with their heads first so as not to get into a head on collisions with one another and incur serious head injuries.

8. Maintain a healthy body

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Proper diet, exercise and adequate sleep are key requirements for a healthy body that every baseball player must practice. Poor diet, lack of exercise and poor quality sleep result to a weak body that is prone to injuries. Moreover, baseball techniques require energy and therefore the body has to be maintained in perfect health and full of energy.

9. Report and go for check up in case of any pain
The first sign of an injured part of the body is pain. Playing baseball with any part of the body experiencing pain may worsen an injury and result to serious problems later. It is advisable to keep off the field and report any cases of pain to the coach or the players’ doctor in order for the necessary action to be taken.

10. Learn each step at a time
Different techniques are for different age groups when it comes to baseball. With this in mind, it is important to learn the techniques that are within one’s age group so as to avoid injuries that would result to over-straining when a player try to practice a technique that is beyond his or her ability.

In conclusion, any game is only enjoyable and rewarding if only all rules and regulations are adhered to. This is equally so when it comes to baseball whereby all safety rules must be observed to avoid injuries. Additionally, this game becomes more satisfying when the correct equipment are in use including the youth baseball bats as well as the batting gloves.

Author Bio:

My name is David, I am an editor/co-founder of www.theplanetofbaseball.com. Being a software engineer by day and a baseball blogger by night, I also participated in the training activities of a youth baseball team at my hometown. I have passion with baseball, it pertains to my life from childhood until now and I love to share what is related to that passion with others. I believe in the support of other baseball bloggers like me to spread the passion.