Parents, players, coaches, and scouts are often very focused on injury prevention today, particularly as it relates to throwing and pitcher workloads.  Longshots Baseball is at the forefront of player health and injury prevention.  Many amateur sports teams and programs (travel and high school) hold themselves out to be focused on the best interests of the player, but other organizational goals are often in direct conflict with this.  Longshots Baseball is a clear leader in protecting and maintaining the health and welfare of its players above all else.

Our program is built on the core concepts of skill development and training.  From when a player enters the program, as early as age 9, all the way until he graduates high school, the program is very focused on teaching and monitoring proper throwing mechanics.  Using proper throwing mechanics is the best way to prevent arm and shoulder injuries.

Not all injuries can be prevented purely by using proper mechanics.  The Longshots work closely with two Chicago-area physical therapists with baseball specialties: Brynn Nahlik and Ryan Mertz.  Ryan is the current physical therapist for the Chicago White Sox, having served in the role since the beginning of the 2010 season.  Ryan executes the therapy programs for the White Sox, working directly with major league players on a daily basis during the season.  Brynn specializes in baseball as well, having treated dozens of baseball players.  She has also participated in industry conferences featuring the training staffs of both the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, as well as Dr. James Andrews, the most prominent baseball surgeon in the world.  Both Ryan and Brynn practice in local Athletico clinics.
Brynn and Ryan worked with the Longshots to study optimal baseball-specific functional strength and development.  They also have spent extensive and continuing hours studying common baseball injuries for players at different stages in their growth processes.  In addition to their using their baseball experience, both spent time consulting baseball medical experts, prominent baseball coaches, and breaking down video to study the biomechanics of throwing.

Brynn and Ryan recently collaborated with the Longshots staff to develop a comprehensive, year-round strength, development, and injury prevention program.  In addition to building general strength, the program is specifically designed to focus on areas of the shoulder, arms, and back that are typically underdeveloped in high school-aged kids.  These underdeveloped areas often take significant stress from throwing and are the primary areas that break down and lead to injury.  Properly strengthening these areas at the appropriate ages helps to avoid injuries that may otherwise occur.  Many of our alumni who have reviewed the program have noted that it is more comprehensive and baseball-specific than the physical development programs offered within many Division I baseball programs.

In the unfortunate circumstance when an injury does occur, Brynn and Ryan are able to help recommend doctors they trust and who have the proper expertise and experience for a specific injury.  We also highly endorse both for any therapy and rehabilitation needs.  Ryan currently practices out of a Chicago Athletico clinic while Brynn practices at the Athletico clinic in the Bulls/Sox Academy in Lisle.