Background: Fastpitch softball is a popular sport for young females. However, data are limited describing youth pitching mechanics. Normative data describing pitching mechanics in the two youngest player pitch leagues are critical to gaining an improved understanding of proper mechanics in an attempt to establish injury prevention programs. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine pitching mechanics in Little League softball pitchers and examine the relationship of these mechanics and participant anthropometrics to ball velocity.

These findings demonstrate the different mechanisms in which energy can be lost through lumbopelvic-hip complex instability as evident in throwing mechanics. The findings from this study suggest that the current methods used for classification could act as a tool for coaches, physicians, and athletic trainers when assessing their athletes' injury susceptibility.

Oliver, GD, Washington, JK, Barfield, JW, Gascon, SS, and Gilmer, G. Quantitative analysis of proximal and distal kinetic chain musculature during dynamic exercises. J Strength Cond Res 32(6): 1545-1553, 2018-Proximal to distal sequencing for the dynamic movement of throwing is dependent on the movement and stability of the lumbopelvic-hip complex (LPHC) and scapula. Although the need for proximal stability for distal mobility has been vastly documented, pre-throwing programs tend to focus on the traditional rotator cuff activation exercises before long toss. Thus, it was the purpose of this study to describe muscle activations of LPHC stabilizing musculature (bilateral gluteus medius and maximus) and scapular stabilizing musculature (dominant side latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius, upper trapezius, and serratus anterior) during 5 kinetic chain exercises that could be implemented in a throwing program. It was hypothesized that both the LPHC and the scapular stabilizing musculature would exhibit moderate to high activation during all the selected kinetic chain exercises. Nineteen healthy college students (23.2 ± 7.2 years; 176.7 ± 17.9 cm; 78.0 ± 28.6 kg) participated. Surface electromyography was used to measure muscle activity in the LPHC and scapular stabilizing musculature during 5 kinetic chain exercises. A nonparametric Friedman test revealed significantly different muscle activations as a factor of exercise for each muscle, χ(18) = 417.220, p < 0.001. The 5 kinetic chain exercises successfully elicited moderate to high muscle activation in all musculature, except the upper trapezius. Because greater muscle activation of the LPHC and scapular stabilizers are crucial during a throwing task, these exercises are recommended for pre-throwing program implementation because they efficiently prepare the stabilizing musculature for lengthy or strenuous throwing tasks, resulting in a potential decrease in injury susceptibility.

Peart, A, Wadsworth, D, Washington, J, and Oliver, G. Body composition assessment in female National Collegiate Athletic Association division I softball athletes as a function of playing position across a multiyear time frame. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The purpose of this study was to record changes in total body mass, lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM), and body fat percentage (BF%) in female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level softball athletes over a multiyear time frame using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (iDXA). Forty-two (20.36 ± 1.59 years) NCAA Division I collegiate softball athletes volunteered over 2 years. Subjects tested 3 times throughout the season (pre-season, mid-season, and post-season) in 2015-2017. Total and regional LBM, FM, and BF% were measured by the iDXA. A mixed-design analysis of variance was performed to examine LBM, FM, BF%, and player position interaction over time. Where appropriate, post hoc tests were used to determine statistically different variables (p ≤ 0.05). Lean body mass decreased significantly (p = 0.048) from mid-season (50.02 ± 0.28) to post season (49.67 ± 0.37). Fat mass and BF% decreased significantly for all playing positions over the season except for pitchers, who showed significantly (p < 0.000) higher levels of FM (26.56 ± 1.74) and BF% (31.77 ± 1.14) than all other positions. The current study revealed that all athletes decreased in LBM during the competitive season. Pitchers from this study consistently maintain a higher FM and BF% than the catchers, infielders, and outfielders. These data reveal that more emphasis of training and conditioning for optimal performance should be focused on the pitching position to maintain a healthy body composition.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of lumbopelvic–hip complex (LPHC) instability on segmental sequencing and the maximum velocities during the overhead throw. Fifty softball athletes (164.0 ± 104.0 cm, 65.6 ± 11.3 kg, 16.3 ± 3.8 years) classified as either college, high school or youth performed three 60 ft overhead throws then executed bilateral single leg squats (SLS). Kinematics were recorded using an electromagnetic tracking system. Participants were classified as ‘unstable’ if they displayed knee valgus greater than 15° at 45° knee flexion in the descending phase of the SLS. One-way ANOVAs and Bonferonni post-hoc tests revealed no significant differences between stability groups in segmental sequencing and maximum velocities amongst the college, high school and youth participation level. When all athletes were grouped together regardless of age, there were still no significant differences observed between groups. These findings imply that segmental sequencing and maximum velocities are not a function of LPHC stability amongst this specific group of athletes. Additionally, the SLS may not accurately quantify LPHC stability in regards to throwing. The authors recommend that future studies repeat these methods amongst different athletic populations and continue to evaluate different clinical tests for LPHC stability.