“For all its gentility, its almost leisurely pace, baseball is violence under wraps.” Willie Mays
Don’t let the winter weather fool you. The season we know as the great American pastime will be here in a blink. “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack” because baseball is just around the corner. But, as Willie Mays said, there can be a physical cost to the game.
In preparation for the downside of the sport, Mary Rutan Therapy & Sports Medicine will offer a preventative arm care workshop this Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Mary Rutan Health Center, 1134 N. Main Street, starting with a continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
An approximately hour-long presentation will follow, which will include demonstrations and active participation. This event is offered free to baseball players of all ages, as well as parents, coaches and youth sports advocates.
The motive behind the workshop comes from “the knowledge that many injuries experienced by throwing athletes can be avoided by addressing form, individual pitch count and preventative warm-up exercises,” according to Suzanne Beach, director of rehabilitation services at Mary Rutan.
Though the number of shoulder/arm strains and injuries varies throughout the year, the staff marks a definite increase during the active baseball season. What they see most often are shoulder and elbow injuries from overuse, particularly in pitchers and catchers as they perform throwing movements with greater frequency and velocity.
Mary Rutan has invited two special guest speakers: Clay Wisner, a former Bellefontaine High School athlete who played baseball at Malone and Bluefield universities and for the Grand Junction Rockies, and Alex Jacobs, an Indian Lake graduate who played for Sinclair Community College and Morehead State University.
Individuals who register before noon Friday, Jan. 6, will be entered into a raffle to win two tickets to the Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies game on Friday, April 14, 2023, at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. You must be present Saturday morning to win.
For more information or to register, call 937-593-0822 or scan the QR code.