What Causes Elbow Soreness After Pitching In Little League And How To Prevent It

About 30% of young pitchers deal with elbow pain each season, and the numbers keep climbing. The good news? Most elbow problems in youth baseball are completely preventable when parents know what to look for and how to protect their young athletes.

Why Young Elbows Are Different

Kids' elbows aren't just smaller versions of adult elbows. The growth plates in youth pitchers are still soft and developing, making them five times weaker than the muscles and tendons around them. When your child throws a baseball, their elbow goes through extreme stress - it's being pulled apart on the inside while getting squeezed on the outside. This happens with every single pitch. Some biomechanics experts, such as Hitting Performance Lab's founder Joey Myers, have adapted professional recovery methods specifically for young arms.

For adults, this stress might tear a ligament. But in kids ages 8-15, the growth plate usually gives way first; that's why youth pitchers get different injuries than pros. The most common problem is called "Little League elbow," which affects the growth plate on the inner side of the elbow.

Growth plates don't fully close until around age 15, and each pitch creates forces equal to 75-92 Newton-meters of torque, with poor throwing form multiplying these forces even more. Research shows that every 10 extra pitches per game increases pain risk by 6%, making it crucial to manage how much young pitchers throw.

Know the Warning Signs

Not all arm soreness is bad. But knowing the difference between normal tiredness and real injury can save your child's season - or their baseball career.

Normal soreness looks like this:

• Dull muscle ache in the shoulder or upper arm
• Pain level of 1-2 out of 10
• Gets better with light movement
• Goes away within 48 hours

Dangerous pain looks like this:

• Sharp or burning pain in the elbow joint
• Pain on the inside of the elbow
• Gets worse with throwing
• Lasts more than 2 days

Performance changes often show up before obvious pain. Watch for your child throwing slower than usual, having trouble controlling pitches, needing longer breaks between throws, or avoiding using their arm for other activities. If you notice any of these signs, it's time for a break and possibly a doctor's visit.

Follow the Pitch Count Rules That Save Arms

Research from top sports medicine centers has given us clear guidelines for keeping young pitchers healthy. These aren't just suggestions - they're based on studying thousands of youth injuries.

Daily pitch limits by age:

• 8 and under: 50 pitches max
• 9-10 years: 75 pitches max
• 11-12 years: 85 pitches max
• 13-14 years: 95 pitches max

Rest is just as important as pitch counts; if your child throws 1-20 pitches, no rest is needed. But 21-35 pitches require one day off, 36-50 pitches need two days, 51-65 pitches mandate three days, and anything over 66 pitches demands four full days of recovery. These rest periods aren't negotiable - they're what keep young arms healthy.

Here's the scary part: kids who throw more than 80 pitches per game are almost four times more likely to need surgery. And 94% of youth teams break these rules during tournaments. Every young pitcher needs at least 4 straight months off from throwing each year, with 2-3 months of no overhead activity at all.

Teach the Right Way to Throw

Good throwing form doesn't mean forcing kids into perfect positions - you need to help them find natural, efficient movements that protect their arms. Young pitchers should focus on using their whole body, not just their arm.

Key mechanics include keeping the stride length about 85% of their height and bending the elbow at roughly 90 degrees when the foot hits the ground. Shoulders should stay level through the pitch, and the elbow should never drop below shoulder height. A full follow-through helps slow the arm naturally and reduces stress.

The biggest mistake? Chasing velocity. Kids see radar guns and try to throw harder by muscling the ball with their arms - this is exactly what causes injuries. Instead, teach them that power comes from the legs and core. A smooth, controlled motion beats raw speed every time at this age.

Start with mastering basic throwing mechanics, then develop a consistent fastball, then add a changeup using the same arm motion but a different grip, and save breaking balls for after age 14 when the body is more developed.

Prevention Programs That Actually Work

The best injury prevention programs take just 10 minutes before practice or games. Studies show these routines can cut injury risk nearly in half while actually improving performance.

Essential warm-up components:

• Light jogging and dynamic stretching (5 minutes)
• Resistance band exercises for shoulders (3 minutes)
• Throwing progression from short to long distance (7-10 minutes)
• Finish with 10-15 throws at game speed

Year-round strength training helps, too, but keep it simple for young athletes. Bodyweight exercises, medicine ball throws, and resistance bands work better than heavy weights. The single best prevention strategy? Playing multiple sports. Kids who play different sports have healthier, longer baseball careers than those who only play baseball.

Face the Youth Baseball Reality

The numbers are alarming. Youth elbow injuries have jumped 5-7 times since 2000. More kids are having Tommy John surgery than ever before. Why? Year-round baseball, showcase tournaments, and the pressure to throw harder at younger ages all play a part.

Major risk factors:

• Playing for multiple teams (22% higher injury risk)
• Pitching and catching in the same season (2.7x injury risk)
• Throwing more than 370 pitches per season
• Playing baseball for more than 8 months per year

The solution isn't complicated, but it requires everyone to change their thinking. Coaches need to track pitch counts across all teams. Parents must resist the pressure to have their kids play year-round. Most importantly, winning today's game should never matter more than protecting a young arm for tomorrow.

Build a Culture That Protects Kids

Creating safer youth baseball starts with changing how we think about young pitchers. Leading experts agree on removing radar guns from youth fields entirely. When kids stop chasing velocity numbers, they naturally throw with better form and less stress.

Communication is key, meaning young players need to feel safe reporting arm pain without fear of losing playing time. Parents need education about what's normal and what's not, and coaches need proper training in mechanics and rest requirements.

The path forward is simple: follow pitch counts, enforce rest periods, teach proper mechanics, and remember that 12-year-olds aren't mini professionals. With the right approach, your young pitcher can enjoy baseball for years to come without becoming another injury statistic. For parents looking for proven recovery methods and additional resources, this hitting performance guide offers comprehensive training strategies beyond just pitching.