NEW SOUTH WALES JUNIOR BASEBALL LEAGUE For the advancement of Junior Baseball within the State of New South Wales
	Welcome to Coaches’ Corner 4. Elements in the Prevention of Injuries in Baseball

COOL DOWN

Cooling down is an important element of preparation for the next training session

Why cool down?

Cooling down

• aids the removal of waste products from the muscles
• maintains flexibility
• reduces muscle soreness and stiffness
• enhances recovery

How should a baseballer cool down?

There should be gradual reduction in activity for 5 to 15 minutes. This should be followed by stretching of the muscle groups which are used during training or competition.

IMPORTANT

A warm down or cool down is especially beneficial when strenuous activity needs to be performed later the same day or on the following day as would occur in tournament situations.

ADEQUATE RECOVERY

Adequate recovery is essential if the full training effect is to be gained and if injuries are to be prevented.  Inadequate recovery leads to impaired performance and associated symptoms such as tiredness and lethargy.

Why is recovery so important?

Frequently athletes may respond to these symptoms (tiredness, lethargy) as evidence of lack of fitness. This misunderstanding may lead to over-training and possible injury.

How to monitor a training program

To monitor a training program a training diary should be kept with details of:

• all training sessions
• rest days
• hours of sleep
• early morning heart rate

Measuring the heartrate

The heart rate may be measured by counting the number of beats in your pulse over 60 seconds before rising. An indication of over-training may be shown by an increase in the pulse rate, particularly over successive days. If this increase in heart rate is associated with the symptoms of impaired performance and tiredness it may be an indication of a need to decrease training intensity for a day or two.

H. Milewski, Physiotherapist.

Keep watching ..... in coming articles in Coaches Corner we will include drills that you can incorporate in your training sessions.

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