Pitch Smart provides a comprehensive resource for safe pitching practices, offering a series of practical, age-appropriate guidelines to help players, parents and coaches avoid overuse injuries and foster long, healthy careers. The program was created by an advisory committee comprised of arm care professionals, such as Dr. James Andrews.
The USA Baseball Sport Development Team aims to grow the game of baseball through youth programs, player development, safety and educational initiatives by providing all constituents of the game with the resources they need to be successful, both on and off the field. The Sport Development department is home to a number of free resources to help navigate the amateur experience, including the Long-Term Athlete Development Plan (LTAD), Mobile Coach App, Sport Development Blog and educational courses amongst other assets.
A long-term athlete development plan (LTAD) is a multi-stage training and recovery pathway that guides an individual's experience in sport and physical activity through all developmental phases from infancy to adulthood. A LTAD provides a framework for systematically developing sporting excellence and increasing active participation in local, regional and national sport organizations. USA Baseball is currently creating a LTAD for baseball in the United States.
USA Baseball's Online Education Center emphasizes a culture of development, safety and fun within the sport through FREE online training courses and programs focused for players, parents, coaches and umpires. The USA Baseball Online Education Center aims to continue to enhance the game of baseball for all constituents through online educational courses. Content is offered in both English and Spanish.
