Youth sports is on life support. If you think it’s fine, you’re not paying attention. Kids age 10-12 are playing way too many tournaments and travel ball. Parents treat it like the World Series. They need less travel, more rest, fueling, and actual development. They’re 12 YO. The data backs it up: ❌70% of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13. ❌Professionalization (year-round single-sport focus, heavy travel/tournaments) drives overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout. ❌Nearly 1 in 10 youth athletes experience burnout; up to 35% deal with overtraining. ❌Early specialization before 12-13 raises injury and burnout risks significantly. Multi-sport kids who rest and play for fun stick around longer and develop better. Let them be kids. Prioritize recovery, fun, and long-term health over trophies. The best athletes often sample multiple sports early and specialize later. Who else sees this?

What’s the difference between a 9u UCL and a 12U UCL?

■ Ref info: Kriz et al. "Do Pitching Restriction Policies Reduce Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in High School Baseball Players?." Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine 14.2 (2026): 23259671251412404. ■ Ref link: doi.org/10.1177/232596712514… ■ note link: note.com/super_human/n/n20d5…

I feel like many "overuse" injuries might fall into these categories even if you're otherwise following best practices like pitch count, but it's never discussed. And the growth plates at this age ....

It's not uncommon for pre-teen baseball players to play 150 games per year. Sadly, this is not an April Fool's joke.