Arm Care for Young Throwing Athletes

Elbow and shoulder injuries in youth baseball are rising fast — and the biggest cause isn't bad luck, it's often a combination of preventable factors. 805's Five Pillars of Arm Care is system of Arm care that covers the major foundations of a healthy arm. An arm care session w 805 is a small-group program (ages 9–13) built to keep young throwers strong, durable, and on the field.

Why young arms get hurt

Throwing a baseball is one of the most physically demanding movements in sports, and growing athletes are especially vulnerable to injury. Elbow injuries (including UCL injuries, often associated with "Tommy John" surgery) and shoulder injuries have increased dramatically in youth baseball over the past two decades. The leading risk factor is overuse—too many throws, not enough recovery, playing year-round, pitching and catching on the same team, and continuing to throw through fatigue or pain. Research also shows that injury risk is influenced by many other factors, including overall strength, movement control, mobility, throwing mechanics, physical conditioning, and lifestyle habits such as sleep and recovery. While no program can eliminate injury risk entirely, addressing these factors can help young athletes throw more efficiently, perform at a higher level, and reduce their risk of arm injuries

The Five Pillars of Arm Care

The goal of our Arm Care Program is to address the modifiable factors that research has linked to injury risk—helping young athletes build resilient, healthy arms for the long term. Strong, resilient arms come from the whole body working together — not just the arm. Each session works through five areas:

• Warm-up & prep — getting the arm and body ready to throw. It’s more than you think…
• Mobility — keeping the arm, trunk and lower body moving freely
• Stability & control — the foundation that protects the joint
• Strength & power — allowing the body to tolerate the load of the sport, including building the kinetic chain from the ground up
• Recovery & regeneration — how to bounce back between outings

Athletes don't just do the work — they learn the "why," so good habits stick.

Program details

• Ages 9–13, small groups of 4–8
• Once a week, 50-minute sessions
• Every Tuesday at 5 PM, Blanche Reynolds Park, Ventura
• $140 / 4 weeks · $240 / 8 weeks · $45 drop-in ($45 referral credit — bring a teammate)

A few things every throwing family should know

• Never throw through arm pain — soreness the day after that's worse than the other side deserves attention.
• Build in rest — time off from throwing each year protects the arm long-term.
• Strength is prevention — a well-conditioned athlete is a more durable one.