11 YO Pitching

I agree with what everyone has said so far, especially regarding pitch count being based on the individual.

First and foremost, the kid MUST have good mechanics. If his mechanics are weak, he will probably (A) throw more pitches and (B) put his arm in jeopardy because your are compounding the bad mechanics with overuse. Pardon the plug, but I have a free guide on pitching mechanics on the Northampton Little League website.

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.

There are really TWO pitch counts - 1 which is how many pitches a player can throw safely, and the second is how many pitches a player can throw effectively. This is an important distinction. With some players, there 70th pitch is as good as their 10th. 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. It's the best way to develop an ace.

My guideline is to assume players have an effective pitch count of 50-60. Temperature, humidity, conditioning and rest are also significant factors.

Start playing conservative, especially if you are in a cold-weather region and build up as the weather improves. You'll minimize the possibilty of injury, and your pitcher's confidence will soar as his effectiveness and stamina improves.