By Jayson Larson Sports Editor
John Price has seen it hundreds, if not thousands, of times. A baseball or softball player rears back to throw and fires away. Maybe it’s the way they’ve always thrown, but in many cases, the player’s arm accelerates forward in a way that’s not natural.
And so many times, those bad throwing habits end with the player sitting in a doctor’s office or, worse, in surgery.
“Injuries are just little bitty errors in a kid’s delivery,” Price said.
Price is on a personal mission to stem the rising number of arm injuries in youth sports. On Monday, Nov. 23, Price — a retired Dallas coach who says he has spent 40 years working with more than 300 injured players — will host a baseball and softball clinic.
The clinic will be held at Good Times Skate Arena located at 517 Progress Way in Athens. The clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to noon and then 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Cost will be $25 per person. First State Bank of Athens is a co-sponsor of the event, he said. Price encourages high school and college players to attend.
Price said he aims to teach players to throw in their “natural throwing groove.” Doing so will help eliminate throwing soreness, pain and injuries.
Price said he has worked with players with a variety of injuries, including those recovering from ailments relating to the shoulder, labrum and rotator cuff and also bones fractured while throwing. He has also worked with players recovering from ligament replacement surgery, also known as “Tommy John” surgery.
He said he also can help with players who have anxiety problems that lead to inaccurate throws. Pro players such as Rick Ankiel and Chuck Knoblauch have suffered from such ailments. Price said he has designed a “Natural Throwing Training Ball” to aid with such problems.
For more information, visit Price’s Web site at www.thethrowcenter.com.
