Help
 

I find myself very sore for a couple of days after doing a plate game. Now granted, these games are always U14 so I have to get a little lower than you guys that do high school games. i was just wondering if anyone else just felt really sore right above your kneecap, and if you have this problem, what do you do before a plate game and/or after a plate game. This usually goes away after about 10 games or so, and luckily I only do 1-2 plate games max a week until the middle of may, where I will do 2-3 A DAY for our little league. Any help would be appreciated.

Advil. ...........

Stretch your hamstrings, every couple of hours after your game.
Do more strecting before your games.
Advil doesn't do much for me when I need it - I take a couple Alieve.

Make sure they are the caplets, not the tablets. For some reason the caplets work better.

True, and I'm sure with all that big $$$ uxley is making this summer, he can afford the good stuff.

RICE and Work a Knee
 

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

And if the kids are very small, don't be afraid to work a knee. No sense of turning yourself into a pretzel to get low enough to get a look at the zone of a very short kid.

Don't get lower for smaller batters.

When a small HS player comes up to bat, many are smaller than the average 14 YRO, we do not take a lower stance.

So, for anything on the 90' Diamond, take your regular stance. The Strike Zone isn't that much lower, only a couple of inches (unless you are calling Nose-To-Toes). It will actually help you from calling pitches that are too low Strikes.

On the 60' diamond, the players on average are much smaller, so you may have to take a knee. But that can be painful also, because getting up is a little tougher, and puts more stress on the front knee.

Well...
 

If a player in HS is short enough I go down on a knee. I know it might not be an accepted mechanic, but getting your head int he best place possible might mean you have to use a knee IMO.

I tried to work the knee in a few 9 year old games las year, and it isnt something I want to go back to. The pain was overwhelming. I just bought some of those advil, and I guess I will stretch a little before I go.

Along with the Advil stretching try using the GD Stance. That has helped me save my knees, along with using braces.

The legs are often the first to go as one ages. If you're having this kind of problem at your age, you most likely aren't staying fit the year 'round.

1. Stretch daily
2. Perform strengthening exercises
3. Work on endurance/cardio
4. Work on agility/balance

Ux,

I call alot of games for my local youth leagues and something that helps me is I widen my stance a little and I stretch before and after the game. If the soreness is very bad I will take some tylenol or alieve on rare occaisions. It is hard when your 6'3" trying to get in position for some one as small as we are calling for. I have bad knees and this helps me. I guess my stance is a modified GD, but I do not work that official stance. Hope this helps.

Well, luckily I am not 6'3 or even close to it. I am 5'9 or 5'10. But when I get to the 9 and 10 year olds, it as if some of these kids look like they are sitting on the ground when they are catching. I try not to wear shin guards doing 9 year olds though, since i have been hit like twice in the shin guards since I have started, and since these kids throw like 40. It also reduces the stress.

Garth I guess you are right. I have a lot of problems with my back and occasionally my knees, but the knee discomfort will probably be around until May, and by then I will have worked enough games to not have a problem.

It took me 4 days until I found my knees were good, I could have worked the day after but it would have been a challenge.

Thanks

Jinx. Go, right now, and put your shinguards on.

p.s. it's not the ball, but the bat that'll drop you like 50lb bag of cement.

when legs start to get real sore late in the summer- i take an ICE BATH (sounds crazy, but i guarantee it will work). D1 football teams have cold tubs for their players to soak their legs in, but we don't have that luxury- we just have a regular old bath tub.

So, get 1 or 2 of those big bags of ice at the store (if you like doing this you can just fill up a couple 2 liters with water and freeze them instead of buying ice). Throw the ice in the tub and fill the water up so the water level is at your belly button when you're sitting down, then HOP IN!

I won't lie, it will be tough to keep yourself from jumping out in the first 5 min, then it's easy sailing for the next 10. Make sure you wear a pair of briefs in there to keep the family jewels somewhat protected (helps a little).

Try this and your legs will feel like a million bucks!