Watching the LL Regional games and I have a question

[VWG]

These kids that are throwing 70 mph at 12 yr. old, and they show that speed in relation to a MLB pitch to be at 90 mph.
How many kids who are throwing 70 mph at 12 yr. old really throw 90 mph when they get to be 17-18?
I know they are comparing the pitching mound distance from LL to MLB and using the speed/distance calculation to register 70mph = 90mph..... but how many kids actually throw that hard later on in life???

[gobblerfan02]

Originally posted by VWG
These kids that are throwing 70 mph at 12 yr. old, and they show that speed in relation to a MLB pitch to be at 90 mph.
How many kids who are throwing 70 mph at 12 yr. old really throw 90 mph when they get to be 17-18?
I know they are comparing the pitching mound distance from LL to MLB and using the speed/distance calculation to register 70mph = 90mph..... but how many kids actually throw that hard later on in life???

It depends on their maturity level and the dedication to the sport....with good coaching and technique, any of those kids throwing the ball that hard already have the "ability" to be able to throw that hard later....just depends i guess!

[Gobbla2001]

I'm betting just about every MLB player these days once played little league...

And I'm sure that every pitcher in college/MLB right now that throws 90 once threw 70 (or even less) when they were in little league...

And there are a lot of pitchers throwing 90's... so I'm guessing a lot end up throwing that hard later in life...

The deal is that with little league kids, you're not gunna see them throwing that ball that fast through spring training, the summer, the fall and into the winter, then more to warm-up for spring training etc... so they're not gunna wear that arm down as fast as you do when you hit the majors...

[Adidas410s]

Assuming that the kids already haven't started hitting thier growth spurt before 12, then it is quite possible. I can speak from personal experience in that I went from 62mph when I was 10 to 69mph when I was 12 to 84mph when I was 15. I started hitting my major growth spurt when I was 13 and this more than anything else will lead to the increase in speed. Additionally, if a kid can find somebody at an early age that is more concerned with teaching the good, consistent, and repetitive fundamentals than they are with winning little league baseball games then the sky is the limit. Of the 10 or so kids that in Abilene that could throw into the upper 60's-lower 70's at 12, there were only two of us who still had the progression as we got older because so many kids are using all arm and have no mechanices whatsoever and even a lot of fastballs can wear an arm out if fundamentals are tought.

[Old Cardinal]

I am not a fan of LL at all. There are other programs that do a better job with younger youth all over America now. Teaching placement, finesse, assorted pitches-- is maybe more important than speed. Most everyone in HS from the final four in 3A this past season could hit raw "speed"; it takes more than that to be on a Regional Championship type pitching rotation these days.
The real stats of LL parents is quite interesting in that most of them played a year or two of LL and never played on a HS or college program. LL is basically all they know.

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
I am not a fan of LL at all. There are other programs that do a better job with younger youth all over America now. Teaching placement, finesse, assorted pitches-- is maybe more important than speed. Most everyone in HS from the final four in 3A this past season could hit raw "speed"; it takes more than that to be on a Regional Championship type pitching rotation these days.
The real stats of LL parents is quite interesting in that most of them played a year or two of LL and never played on a HS or college program. LL is basically all they know.

Sure, maybe LL is all a lot of kids know - nothing wrong with that. None of my 3 boys ever have regretted a minute of LL time & I enjoy(ed) every minute of watching them. Not every kid will be a high school or college player, but they can learn a lot from little league play, including & maybe most important, how to be a part of a team & to be dependent upon your teammates and yourself.