What are 'effective' pitch counts?

Implementing pitch counts with young kids is important and necessary, but I believe it should be based on the individual. Every one's different. Therefore a one-size-fits-all pitch count strategy may not be the best solution for the pitchers on your team.

First and foremost, a kid MUST have good pitching mechanics. If his mechanics are weak, he will probably (A) throw more pitches and (B) put his arm at risk of injury because you're compounding bad mechanics with overuse.

Second, pitch count has a lot to do with the conditioning of the arm. Someone who throws often is going to have better stamina than someone who doesn't.

This is why I believe there are really TWO pitch counts:

1. The number of pitches a player can throw safely
2. The number of pitches a player can throw "effectively"

This is an important distinction. The two are very different.

With some players, there 70th pitch is as good as their first. With others, they start to fade. Find out what a player's "effective" pitch count is, use him only for that, and condition him to raise the figure throughout the season.

My guideline is to assume that Little League age pitchers (10-, 11-, and 12-year-old kids) have an "effective" pitch count of about 50 to 60 pitches. Temperature, humidity, conditioning, and rest (when was the last time the kid pitched?) are also significant factors.

Start playing conservative, especially if you live in a cold-weather region, and build up as the weather improves. (In most parts of the country now, however, the weather is warm, making this a nonfactor.) You'll minimize the possibilty of injury, and your pitchers' confidence will soar as their effectiveness and stamina improves.