Battling the Cold Air of Winter

Sunny...75 degrees...Not a cloud in the sky...The smell of fresh cut Kentucky Bluegrass...We would all love to pitch or practice in those conditions every day. Unfortunately, most of us aren't fortunate enough to play in those conditions due to our geographic location. Growing up in the Northeast United States, I've had to make an adjustment during the winter months to my throwing program, in order to be ready for the spring season. Anyone reading this, who is from a colder climate, understands what I'm talking about. When battling the cold air of winter, keep a few things in mind...

The goal of throwing long toss is to prepare our arms for solid strength and good health for the upcoming season. If you're going to brave the cold, make sure you go through a thorough warm up. This should include an extended period of distance running/sprints and a Dynamic Warm Up, before you get into throwing the baseball. When the temperature drops below 30 degrees, as it will many times in our winter season, think twice about getting outside to throw. At Hatboro Horsham, we won't go outside for our long toss if it drops below 30 degrees. In the cold weather, it's easy for the body, even when properly warmed up, to ice over, and create stiff ligaments and muscle fibers. Repetitive throwing in these types of conditions will wear out not only the shoulder and elbow, but all other ligaments and muscles in the body, creating an instability among them heading into the spring time. The goal of the off season is to get to the regular season in one piece, healthy and strong, ready to compete. Some believe that it will increase the kids' toughness if they get out in this type of weather. My argument to that is this isn't football. Baseball demands more mental toughness and consistency than football. If you are trying to stick to a strict throwing program, and the temperature drops below 30 degrees, wait until the next day of long toss. You won't win any Championships or Scholarship offers because you threw in 19 degree weather...