Off Season Baseball

With so many opportunities for a High School Baseball Team to play in the off season, coaches should count the cost carefully. Some fall leagues have multiple sites, with numerous teams, that play a 25 game schedule. Now, add a short winter league schedule of 10 to 12 games to that and the off season schedule totalls 35 to 37 games.

Additionally, some individual players also play Club Ball in the fall and winter which could add any number of games to an already taxing off season. By the time the spring season of 20 to 25 games is completed, a high school baseball player could have played 55-60 games rolling into the summer league schedule of an additional 15 to 20 games.

This may explain why Orthopedic Doctors and Rehab Centers are so busy during a recession. The prevailing philosophy of some coaches, that more is better, seems to fit well with the medical profession but not well with High School Baseball. More is not better, it's just more. More opportunity to wear down, get hurt, loose excitement for the game, get behind in school work and less time for fundamental development, strength, endurance and rehab.

Most high school kids are still growing and developing into their man bodies. To place the demands, of what amounts to a short season of minor league baseball (70-75 games) on them is not healthy nor profitable. In fact, it often pays deminishing returns. Yes I am an old school guy, but I am also someone who understands the value of moderation and development.