pitching instruction

Question
My daughter is a 10 year old pitcher who wants to start learning how to throw curveballs and other new pitches.  My concern is that she may be too young to start introducing that kind of stress on her joints/tendons/ligaments/etc.  Is there a minimum age that girls should wait for before adding these pitches to their repertoire?

Thank you,
Stillman Sprague

Answer
Hi Stillman,

I am not allowed to give out specific advice on the internet by my malpractice carrier.

I can only tell you what I think and would do with my daughter,

Softball pitching delivery is a very natural motion, properly taught by an experienced pitching coach few problems arise, you need to spend some money if you are going to do this. As with any important endeavor you must also check references and reputation, hs and local or nearby college coaches are great resources.

This is not baseball which can be very hard on young pitching arms.

The key along with excellent individualized coaching is watching for any problems if they arise and immediately stopping the actions that caused the problems.  We never pitch through pain.  With pain we immediately consult a sports physician.

If you are willing to do the above, 10 is a great age to start.

Mark