August 10, 2005
More about the disappearing sport seasons
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Last week this space was devoted to a dissertation on the changing face of youth sports and the
disappearance of defined seasons.
About how playing the same sport all year ‘round is not always the healthiest thing to do. There was the
14-year old baseball player from Massachusetts who needed surgery on both elbows because of
excessive pitching and hitting. A surgeon from Alabama who performed 51 Tommy John surgeries on
teenagers just last year. There were heel injuries on pre-teen gymnasts. And the great increase in injuries
to the anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in teens.
It was conceded that playing a sport all the time does give the athlete competitive experience. In theory, it
strengthens the muscles needed to play that sport and helps the young athlete adjust to the pressures of
competition. But today’s kids might not be better off than those decades ago, when a dozen of them would
just pick up sides for a baseball game with no umpires, no coaches and no pressures? And they’d stop
when they got tired.
Dr. Fred Dalzell is a guy who knows about sports – on every level. One of the most versatile athletes to
come out of the Cape-Atlantic League, he had his number retired by Holy Spirit High School in football and
basketball while also making his mark in baseball. He set passing records at Princeton and joined another
super-athlete – Steve Parker – to form one of the area’s top golf teams.
Dalzell is also an orthopedic surgeon, so he knows about sports injuries.
“I’ve seen more kids in need of Tommy John surgeries the past year than any time in my life,” he said.
That refers to damage to the ligament in the elbow that is the main stabilizer of the joint. In the surgery, a
ligament is usually taken from the opposite wrist to replace the damaged one. It was first performed on
John, a former Dodgers’ pitcher, by Dr. Frank Jobe about 25 years ago. John returned to the major leagues
after the surgery and had three 20-win seasons in his first five seasons back with the Dodgers and
Yankees.
“It’s not something that should be happening to teenagers,” said Dalzell. “Most baseball leagues have
restrictions on how many game or innings a pitcher can pitch each week. The trouble is, many kids play in
two or three leagues and sometimes pitch three times a week. Major leaguers can’t even do that. And, if
they are throwing a lot of curve balls and sliders, it just puts more pressure on the joint.”
Dalzell has not noticed as many repetitive injuries from soccer or basketball but runners and swimmers
need to be careful. “You see stress fractures in runners and shoulder injuries in swimmers,” he said. “You
can fully expect a swimmer who competes year ‘round to have some sort of shoulder problem by college
that will keep them out of action. Swimming is a great exercise but you need to rest your joints from any
exercise.”
Even running.
“There is the old line,” Dalzell said, “that only two animals are dumb enough to get stress fractures –
horses and humans. It’s a joke but a stress fracture mainly comes from ignoring pain and letting the
situation get worse. In a few closely-monitored exercise situations, the phrase ‘no pain, no gain’ might be
accurate. But, in general, if it hurts, stop doing it.”
There are some injuries that are difficult to prevent. “I remember getting shin splints when I switched from
football to basketball,” Dalzell said, “and went from the soft grass field to the hard court. There’s not much
you can about that.”
Other doctors around the country have similar suggestions.
“A kid needs at least three months off every year from any overhead-motion-type sports, including baseball,
tennis and swimming,” says Dr. James Andrews.
“Don’t ignore discomfort. Pain is an indication of injury or dysfunction. If there is pain it should be taken
care of,” says Dr. Joseph Chorley.
“Parents need to take the lead in reining kids in. They sign them up, they drive them and they pay for it.
They need to make sure all of their participation is helping them, not leading to unnecessary injuries,” says
Dr. Lyle Mitchell.
All of this shouldn’t scare parents. Participation in sports is a great thing and can lead to a healthier life.
But playing any sport 12 months of the year can be a mistake at any age, particularly for developing
teenage bodies.
The experts seem to agree. Encourage your kids to play different sports, possibly emphasizing one if they
are very good at it or very fond of it. Even runners and swimmers need to take a break and cross train for a
while to take pressure off their joints.
It turns out that athletes like Fred Dalzell, who play completely different sports in each season, are not
only the most versatile athletes, they’re the ones with the best chance of avoiding joint injuries that can
impact the rest of their lives.
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