In the world of 13U baseball there are two types of players – those who have hit puberty and those who look as if they just left Santa’s lap.  Look across any of the youth diamonds and you will often see a noticeable difference in size and maturity.  One kid looks as if he just left the club while his counterpart just left Santa’s lap.

While both have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, it’s important to understand how each can benefit or hinder their development and actions in the long run.

Late Bloomers: The advantages late bloomers are usually at an advantage in the long run because they are smaller and have to find ways to be more efficient in their movements. This leads to them learning the importance of momentum and tempo without having to be instructed to do so.

They also have shorter limbs, which results in more body awareness, making it easier for them to repeat movements. Additionally, their arm action tends to be shorter and more efficient as they involve more of their chest and back in the throwing process. Furthermore, being placed in the middle infield contributes to their success later in development as they develop better footwork, agility, and arm action efficiency to get the ball out of the glove quicker. Lastly, the fact that they have to “battle the big boys” often makes them tougher, mentally and physically.

Early Bloomers: The disadvantages On the other hand, early bloomers are at a disadvantage because they are stronger and rely less on their body to generate force. They rely more on their arm strength and size to generate velocity due to the mechanical advantage of their longer limbs and overall strength compared to their smaller peers.

This leads to success and higher velocity without having to implement the lower body and hip action, which becomes a disadvantage later in their development. They are also less aware of movement and rhythm, which results in stiff and restricted actions that rely more on the upper body and cannot connect with the lower body.

Their larger size and strength also mean they never grasp the importance of momentum and tempo, as it isn’t required for success or velocity. Lastly, they tend to have longer, hand-driven arm actions as their bodies were not required to move as efficiently at younger ages.

Sport Specific: One-Sport Athletes

• Specializing in baseball only can be a hindrance to cross-movement patterns required in multiple sports.
• This results in a lack of body awareness and overall inefficiency in movement.
• These athletes tend to spend more time with instructors (lessons) and can fall into the trap of focusing too much on form.
• They also run the risk of compounding faulty movement patterns thousands of times, making it harder to change later in their development.
• Additionally, players in colder regions tend to spend more time in indoor environments (cages) and less time competing against others in different sports, such as basketball, football, and hockey.
• Overuse, less efficient movement patterns, and a lack of kinesthetic awareness can also be factors affecting one-sport athletes.

Multi-Sport Athletes

• These athletes are more in tune with their body and more efficient in movement.
• Playing multiple sports challenges the body to move in accordance with the requirements of each in-season sport.
• As a result, they are able to adapt and introduce their body to multiple movement patterns, leading to a more athletic version of themselves.
• Multi-sport athletes are less likely to encounter the constraints of overuse and specialization and have an advantage in the competitive arena.

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Trust what You FEEL!

Lantz Wheeler