Jul 1, 2025

Robbie McMorris | The Youth Sports Injury Crisis: Why Our Young Athletes Are Breaking Down

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Podcast Recap

Youth Sports

Robbie McMorries

The Youth Sports Injury Crisis: Why Our Young Athletes Are Breaking Down

Based on XCEL U Podcast Episode #13 with Physical Therapist Assistant Robbie McMorris


The Alarming Reality

It's mid-September, and physical therapy clinics across the country are seeing a familiar surge. Young athletes are walking through the doors with injuries that would have been unthinkable just a generation ago. Among them? A 15-year-old who just underwent Tommy John surgery - a procedure once reserved for professional pitchers at the end of their careers.

This isn't an isolated incident. It's part of a growing epidemic that's fundamentally changing youth sports and raising serious questions about how we're developing our young athletes.


From "Rub Some Dirt On It" to High-Tech Tracking

Physical therapist Robbie McMorris, who has personal experience with Tommy John surgery, sees this crisis firsthand. "When I was 17, I had no clue what spin rate even meant, much less how to track it," McMorris explains. "Now I have kids coming in who know their exact spin rates and velocities at 14 years old."

The contrast is stark. Previous generations of athletes played multiple sports, had natural off-seasons, and didn't have access to the detailed performance metrics that drive today's young athletes to chase increasingly specific numbers.

"There's a difference between pain and discomfort," McMorris emphasizes. "You need some discomfort to figure out where you are and find that line in the sand. But pain? We don't want pain. If you're crossing over that line, you need to back up."


The Baseball Epidemic: A Case Study in Overuse

Baseball provides perhaps the clearest example of how youth sports have gone wrong. McMorris regularly encounters young players who are throwing more innings than Major League pitchers - despite not being skeletally mature.

"I've seen kids whose season started in February, played through spring, took two weeks off for summer ball, played all summer, took a week off, and now they're in fall season," he explains. "Sometimes these kids are throwing more pitches and innings than major league pitchers."

The numbers are staggering, but the human cost is higher. Tommy John surgery, which repairs the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow, is becoming increasingly common among teenagers. The recovery is lengthy - often longer than the previously assumed one year - and the risk of reinjury remains elevated.


The Multi-Sport Solution

The solution isn't found in more specialized training or better technology. It's found in looking backward to how the greatest athletes of previous generations developed their skills.

"If you ask almost any player in the Hall of Fame about what they did growing up, they played every sport," McMorris notes. "Ken Griffey Jr., Ozzie Smith - they played everything. What makes them different isn't that they specialized early; it's that they got fundamental growth and development from multiple sports."

Different sports provide different benefits:

  • Basketball: Reactionary movements, change of direction, jumping

  • Soccer: Sprinting, backpedaling, change of direction, kicking

  • Tennis/Pickleball: Hand-eye coordination, lateral movement

  • Football: Power, collision training, teamwork

Each sport develops different movement patterns and stresses the body in unique ways, creating more well-rounded athletes and reducing overuse injuries.


The Technology Trap

While modern technology provides valuable information, it can also become a trap. Young athletes and their parents become obsessed with metrics - spin rates, exit velocity, launch angles - often at the expense of fundamental skill development and injury prevention.

"Because of all that information, you have kids 14, 15, 16, 17 - doesn't matter the age - chasing these numbers," McMorris explains. "They know if they can get certain revolutions per minute, their curveball breaks more, their fastball has a different look."

This pursuit of perfect numbers often leads to overuse as young athletes attempt to replicate the performance of professional athletes they see on television every day.


The Exposure Problem

Modern media exposure creates unrealistic expectations. Unlike previous generations who might have seen their favorite players once a month on television, today's young athletes can watch elite performers daily through streaming services and social media.

"These kids see Aaron Judge every day, or they see Ohtani, and they're like 'I want to be him,'" McMorris observes. "That's great - it's a great target. But the reality is you're not going to get there. It's very rare that you're going to get to that level."

This constant exposure, combined with the pressure to be seen by college recruiters, leads families to have their children play 100+ games per year, traveling across the country for tournaments and showcases.


Practical Solutions for Parents and Athletes

1. Respect Pitch Count Guidelines

Major League Baseball, working with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, has established pitch count guidelines for youth players. These aren't suggestions - they're essential injury prevention tools.

2. Encourage Multi-Sport Participation

Expose children to various sports and let them choose what they enjoy. Don't force specialization before high school.

3. Recognize the Signs

Learn the difference between normal discomfort and pain that requires attention. When in doubt, seek professional evaluation.

4. Find Your First Line of Defense

Identify healthcare professionals in your community who can provide initial assessments. Many physical therapy clinics offer free consultations for youth athletes.

5. Question the "Why"

Like the story of the Christmas ham - where generations cut off the end simply because that's what they'd always done - question whether current practices actually serve your child's best interests.


The Burnout Factor

Perhaps most concerning is the psychological toll. McMorris regularly encounters talented athletes who, by age 16 or 17, no longer want to play the sport they once loved.

"You get burned out," he explains. "Variety is the spice of life. We've seen really good athletes, really good ball players, get to 16 or 17 and say 'I don't know if I want to play in college.' You're one of the best players on your team, throwing 95 miles per hour, and you should play - but you'd rather do something else."


Learning from the Legends

The greatest athletes in history didn't achieve their success through year-round specialization. Bob Gibson played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Nolan Ryan was simply "built different" - a genetic anomaly who could throw 80+ mph in his 60s. Roger Clemens was among the first to challenge conventional wisdom about post-game icing.

These athletes succeeded not despite playing multiple sports, but because of it. They developed diverse movement patterns, avoided overuse injuries, and maintained their love for competition.


A Call for Balance

The solution isn't to eliminate technology or return completely to the "rub some dirt on it" mentality. Instead, we need balance:

  • Use technology as a tool, not a master

  • Prioritize long-term development over short-term performance

  • Encourage multi-sport participation

  • Respect the developing bodies of young athletes

  • Focus on skill development alongside physical development


The Bottom Line

Our young athletes are paying the price for adult ambitions and systemic changes in youth sports. The 15-year-old with Tommy John surgery isn't an anomaly - he's a warning sign.

As McMorris concludes: "Go outside and play. Be a kid. We have too many phones, too many video games, too many TVs. Kids are getting arthritis of the thumb by age 12. That's a real thing."

The path forward requires courage from parents, coaches, and young athletes themselves - the courage to prioritize long-term health over short-term performance metrics, to choose variety over specialization, and to remember that the goal isn't just to create better athletes, but to raise healthy, well-rounded individuals who maintain their love for sports throughout their lives.

If you're concerned about a young athlete's injury or pain, consider seeking a professional evaluation. Many physical therapy clinics offer free consultations to help determine whether further medical attention is needed.

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Stay up to date with the latest physical therapy tips, exclusive offers, and exciting news from XCEL. Join our community and take the next step toward better movement and recovery today!

Subscribe to the XCEL Newsletter!

Stay up to date with the latest physical therapy tips, exclusive offers, and exciting news from XCEL. Join our community and take the next step toward better movement and recovery today!