When Will Our Athletes' Best Interests Be Kept In Mind?

Medicine ball side-throws improve rotational explosiveness.

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I grew up in a time where Tommy John was a starting pitcher and not a common surgical procedure. Competing in multiple sports from season to season, I experienced bumps and bruises like any other athlete. But there was never anything more serious than a sprained ankle or some bruise due to either a collision, being hit by a ball or taking a spill. It is amazing to me what has happened in today's sports from the youth level all the way up to the professional level. If you were to go to a Pop Warner practice or game today, most of the kids on the field would be familiar with concussions, ACL injuries, rotator cuff issues, etc. The same applies for Little League organizations as well as in AYSO leagues. While our society has raised awareness and through the internet there is a considerable amount of information available in comparison to past times, our advances in performance training, medicine, physical therapy and rehabilitation should play a factor in decreasing the number of sports related injuries. Unfortunately, the exact opposite is true. It should be noted that the vast improvement of performance enhancement training and the competitive level of sports even at the youth levels has risen dramatically. These variable are unfortunately the excuses being used for a large number of injuries due to athletes being bigger, stronger, faster and more explosive. The thinking is that with more strength, explosiveness and speed, the athletes are more prone to injury. With all of the experts out there, shouldn't it be the other way around?