The most important thing for a pitcher to do prior to pitching is to warm up. With demands on pitchers so much higher these days it is imperative for the pitcher to throw for a minimum of 5-10 minutes to loosen up.

Many pitchers are in various leagues and competitive settings. It is very easy now more than ever for a young pitcher to get worn down. Between school leagues and off-school leagues, a pitcher can potentially see action 4-5 times a week. This is more than a young pitcher can handle. The ideal situation would be for all the coaches of the various leagues to be in contact with eachother to ensure the safety of the pitcher is #1 priority.

If I had to give any pitching tips to reduce injuries I would say to make sure you don't take your arm for granted and to treat it like the precious commodity that it is.

One way that will not only help to reduce pitching injuries but also overall performance is to increase strength and conditioning.

I understand that most teams not at the major league level do not have a strength and conditioning coach, I would highly recommend taking the necessary steps to get your pitchers in the shape they need to be.

Many injuries can occur because of an imbalance in the muscle groups where the athlete has to compensate using a different muscle group.

If you have the correct strength program, these imbalances will no longer be an issue and the body will have the necessary strength it needs to perform at its best, injury free.