Tips for Baseball Player Recovery Between Img National Classic Games
Author
March
2019
The IMG National Classic is one of the most elite baseball tournaments at the high school level, bringing premiere prep baseball teams to Florida to go head-to-head in America’s game. Delivering a professional-style environment to coaches and athletes, the IMG classic features 16 teams - comprised of more that 50 NCAA Division 1 commits - from 10 different states. As an athletic trainer, this is the type of event you look forward to, and it comes at no better time than National Athletic Training month. At [TimTam](https://timtam.tech) an official recovery partner we look to leverage both the talents of the trainer and the athlete with our expertly-curated collection of recovery tool, which is why we’ve compiled a list of tips for recovering your athletes between games. These tips, in addition to your professional guidance as an athletic trainer, will help boost your athletes’ performance in each and every game.
Pregame and Recovery for Pitchers
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#### Paying Attention to Warming Up Pitchers Properly
As athletic trainers, you know that the athlete on the field that typically requires the most post-game recovery treatment is found on the mound. Due to the musculoskeletal composition of the human arm and shoulder, an overhead throw is an extremely unnatural motion -- which is why baseball pitchers don’t pitch as many consecutive games as softball pitchers. With each team throwing, on average, 146 pitches per game, pitchers need to make sure their recovery and pre-game preparations are solid.
We recommend using the [TimTam Power Massager](https://timtam.tech/collections/massagers/products/timtam-power-massager-v1-5) with a hot tip to get your pitchers ready to throw. The Power Massager delivers up to 2,000 pulses per minute to targeted muscle areas to massage muscles. Great for getting the muscles warm and activated, the [Hot Tip is the perfect attachment](https://timtam.tech/products/round-hot-tip) to keep in the dugout or pen to get a pitcher ready for the game. Your pitcher will be loose and ready to get throwing, ensuring their warmup and performance is maximized from the start. Additionally, keep your pitchers warm and loose between innings with low power, heated massages.
Another injury that is becoming [increasingly popular among MLB players](http://m.mlb.com/glossary/injuries/oblique-strain) is the oblique muscle strain. The long, fast, and sharp motion of the baseball pitch puts a lot of strain on the obliques, making it easy for baseball pitchers to experience a muscle strain ranging from mild to a serious muscle tear. We recommend making heat therapy - with our warming gel or a low power setting on the TimTam Power Massager - an important pregame ritual to the obliques to prevent this serious injury.
At the end of a game, focus on compression and icing for the pitcher’s arm. This allows you to decrease inflammation and prevent soreness, allowing the pitcher to be fully read to take the mound as soon as possible.
Recovery for Catchers
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#### Recovering the Strongest Knees on the Field Takes Work
Arguably one of the most difficult positions on the field, catchers should not be ignored when it comes to post-game recovery. Not only - in warm climates - do catchers need special attention to replenishing fluids and electrolytes, but the stress on joints needs to be addressed to prevent injury and soreness.
Following a game, catchers should focus on compression and cold therapy on their knees. To provide compression, try out the [TimTam Floss Bands](https://timtam.tech/collections/exercise-fitness/products/floss-bands) \- elastic compression bands that mirror the nature of fascia to promote proper recovery and future power exertion. After a short warm down using Floss Bands for compression, it’s time to address muscle soreness and swelling. Prevent soreness with about 20-30 minutes of knee icing following a tough game or practice, allowing catchers to prepare for the next day.
For sore glutes and trigger points, use the TimTam Power Massager with the Hot Tip. Great for acute soreness and over exertion, the [Hot Tip will help relax muscles](https://timtam.tech/collections/massager-tips/products/round-hot-tip) and restore blood flow for the comfortable, quick recovery of the star behind the plate.
Recovery for Fielders
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#### Don’t forget these important playmakers’ recovery
To be ready to make important defensive plays, take the time to focus on proper recovery of the fielders. With their own unique issues and injuries from the pitching and catching due, it’s important to treat fielders’ injuries with care. From sore elbows of outfielders to achy muscles from fast reactions, be sure to pay close attention to the needs of the fielders.
Due to the necessity of throwing long distances, it’s common for outfielders to have problems with their shoulders, elbows and forearms. This - much like pitchers - stems from the unnatural motion of the overhead throw, but also improper technique that is developed overtime. As [outfielders crow hop and over-exert to throw home](https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/elbow-injuries-in-the-throwing-athlete/), they can damage their tendons. For this, make sure that outfielders are paying special attention to icing after games to decrease swelling. Additionally, allow outfielders to prepare for games with thorough throwing warm ups and heat treatment.
Both infielders and outfielders need to stay on their toes, ready to reach to a fast-moving ball coming their way. These fast, powerful reactions are driven by both the muscles and the fascia, which is why we encourage fascial compression during a light warm down followed by heat - best delivered through the power massager and Hot Tip - for acute soreness.
As the biggest tournament for premiere prep baseball teams, the IMG classic is the highly-anticipated tournament for the baseball community and all involved. As a trainer, prepare for this important event with the help of [TimTam](https://timtam.tech): the company bringing modern recovery to everyone through our collection of powerful recovery tools.
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According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a warm-up is defined as “preparatory activities and functionally based movements that are specifically designed to prepare the body for exercise or sport”. Designing an adequate warmup is usually dependent on the athlete’s needs, goals, and abilities.¹ The goal is to mentally and physically prepare the athlete for a training session or competition; while reducing the risk of injury. Benefits of a well designed warm-up are as follows:²
Psychological readiness and preparation
Increased blood flow to active muscles
Increased strength and power output
Improved joint range of motion
Increased core temperature
Enhanced oxygen delivery
Faster muscle contraction and relaxation
There are many warm-up procedures that a coach or athlete may implement into their training routine. Learning about the advantages of different procedures is crucial to building an effective warm-up specific to yourself or another individual. This article will discuss traditional procedures like static and dynamic stretching; as well as some newer modalities aiding in the speed and effectiveness of a warmup.
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