|
|
|
You’ve seen it before. An every game occurrence at almost any level of baseball. A player goes up to the plate and then instead of hitting the ball, the pitch comes straight at them and they’ve been hit.
This summer on the U16 Junior Rangers Legion baseball team, a high amount of players have been hit by pitches, including first baseman Josh Austin. About a month ago, the junior at Dodge City High School, received a rather severe arm injury from a pitch.
“The arm injury he got hit by a pitch in Hays,” Josh’s mother Bonnie Austin said. “Probably three, four weeks ago. He got hit right above the elbow and it immediately swelled up to about twice its size and he kept playing and didn’t tell his coaches he was hurt. But he iced it really good after the game, but by morning it was swollen about mid to mid forearm it was just huge. He could hardly bend it.”
Austin explained that two days later Josh went to Dr. Mark Pick, the local chiropractic in Dodge City, and was diagnosed with a deep-soft tissue contusion injury in the left side of his arm.
“He started electrotherapy stuff on it,” Austin explained. “(Pick) really suggested he not play on it again, didn’t want it to get hit again.”
Pick, who has dealt with sports injuries for 25 years and was part of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Committee, explained that for Josh’s arm injury, he performed the Graston Technique. The Graston is basically a technique to get the blood flowing and break down the scar tissue using bar looking instruments that are rubbed against the skin. Pick said they perform this so that other injuries do not develop.
“We want a functional recovery,” Pick said.
The Graston Technique, which is common for athletes, isn’t the most pleasant process to go through.
“I remember one time,” Austin explained, “first time Josh went through it I was at school and Josh sent me a text and said, ‘Okay I almost cried.’ So I knew that it hurt so bad,” she said.
Bonnie said that Josh, who has gone through multiple injuries, was hit again a couple of days later after the initial strike.
“We decided to get him an elbow guard, but none were in Dodge so we put a volleyball knee pad on to cushion it,” Austin said. “He didn’t like it, no mobility. We finally found a Nike elbow guard online and order it and that it what he is wearing. That has done a good job of protection.”
Pick said that an injury like Josh’s is common in sports and that the elbow guards are a commonly seen thing now in athletics.
“If you watch major league baseball, you see a lot of the guys up to bat wearing protection,” Pick explained.
While Josh’s injury may be common, Junior Rangers head coach Daniel Rogers explained this was the first time he had seen anything like it.
“Well to be honest, I’ve never seen an injury like his, hit by a pitch,” Rogers said “I’ve never seen a bruise that bad. I mean it’s part of the game, but you always want the kids to be careful.”
This summer Austin explained that it hasn’t just been Josh who has taken a hit.
“It’s been awful there for a while,” Austin said. “Ryan (Lomas) for awhile in one doubleheader he got hit five or six times. There’s a lot of kids getting hit.”
Rogers said, however, that while safety is top priority, the philosophy has always been to get on base anyway they can.
“Well as a coach we definitely like when the guys get hit by a pitch,” Rogers said. “We like when guys get on base anyway possible whether it’s a walk or a hit by pitch. If they get hit by a pitch we’re saying, ‘nice job, way to find a way on base.’ Just anyway on. That’s how you play the game.”
Pick said that having a sports injury, even one like Josh’s this young, is the best situation, if any.
“Young kids they have youth on their side,” Pick said. “It’s a lot easier to come back from an injury than say if I were to get a deep tissue injury now.”
Austin said while Josh has been able to play most of the season despite his arm injury, there is still that thought process of not playing the game.
“This season I’ve been okay with him being out there,” she said. “As a parent you have a balancing line you have to walk. Times when no matter what your kids want to play, you have to be the parent and no its not in there best interest to play.”
You’ve seen it before. An every game occurrence at almost any level of baseball. A player goes up to the plate and then instead of hitting the ball, the pitch comes straight at them and they’ve been hit.
This summer on the U16 Junior Rangers Legion baseball team, a high amount of players have been hit by pitches, including first baseman Josh Austin. About a month ago, the junior at Dodge City High School, received a rather severe arm injury from a pitch.
“The arm injury he got hit by a pitch in Hays,” Josh’s mother Bonnie Austin said. “Probably three, four weeks ago. He got hit right above the elbow and it immediately swelled up to about twice its size and he kept playing and didn’t tell his coaches he was hurt. But he iced it really good after the game, but by morning it was swollen about mid to mid forearm it was just huge. He could hardly bend it.”
Austin explained that two days later Josh went to Dr. Mark Pick, the local chiropractic in Dodge City, and was diagnosed with a deep-soft tissue contusion injury in the left side of his arm.
“He started electrotherapy stuff on it,” Austin explained. “(Pick) really suggested he not play on it again, didn’t want it to get hit again.”
Pick, who has dealt with sports injuries for 25 years and was part of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Committee, explained that for Josh’s arm injury, he performed the Graston Technique. The Graston is basically a technique to get the blood flowing and break down the scar tissue using bar looking instruments that are rubbed against the skin. Pick said they perform this so that other injuries do not develop.
“We want a functional recovery,” Pick said.
The Graston Technique, which is common for athletes, isn’t the most pleasant process to go through.
“I remember one time,” Austin explained, “first time Josh went through it I was at school and Josh sent me a text and said, ‘Okay I almost cried.’ So I knew that it hurt so bad,” she said.
Bonnie said that Josh, who has gone through multiple injuries, was hit again a couple of days later after the initial strike.
“We decided to get him an elbow guard, but none were in Dodge so we put a volleyball knee pad on to cushion it,” Austin said. “He didn’t like it, no mobility. We finally found a Nike elbow guard online and order it and that it what he is wearing. That has done a good job of protection.”
Pick said that an injury like Josh’s is common in sports and that the elbow guards are a commonly seen thing now in athletics.
“If you watch major league baseball, you see a lot of the guys up to bat wearing protection,” Pick explained.
While Josh’s injury may be common, Junior Rangers head coach Daniel Rogers explained this was the first time he had seen anything like it.
“Well to be honest, I’ve never seen an injury like his, hit by a pitch,” Rogers said “I’ve never seen a bruise that bad. I mean it’s part of the game, but you always want the kids to be careful.”
This summer Austin explained that it hasn’t just been Josh who has taken a hit.
“It’s been awful there for a while,” Austin said. “Ryan (Lomas) for awhile in one doubleheader he got hit five or six times. There’s a lot of kids getting hit.”
Rogers said, however, that while safety is top priority, the philosophy has always been to get on base anyway they can.
“Well as a coach we definitely like when the guys get hit by a pitch,” Rogers said. “We like when guys get on base anyway possible whether it’s a walk or a hit by pitch. If they get hit by a pitch we’re saying, ‘nice job, way to find a way on base.’ Just anyway on. That’s how you play the game.”
Pick said that having a sports injury, even one like Josh’s this young, is the best situation, if any.
“Young kids they have youth on their side,” Pick said. “It’s a lot easier to come back from an injury than say if I were to get a deep tissue injury now.”
Austin said while Josh has been able to play most of the season despite his arm injury, there is still that thought process of not playing the game.
“This season I’ve been okay with him being out there,” she said. “As a parent you have a balancing line you have to walk. Times when no matter what your kids want to play, you have to be the parent and no its not in there best interest to play.”
