⚾ Protecting Arms, Preserving Futures: What We Learned from The Arm

If you’ve never read The Arm by Jeff Passan, do it.

It’s not just a book about baseball — it’s a sobering look at the cost of how we treat young arms. The surgeries, the burnout, the careers shortened before they even start. What Passan uncovers is something every youth coach and parent needs to hear: we’re not just managing pitches, we’re managing futures.

At 806 Drive, we take that seriously.

We don’t chase radar guns. We don’t glorify kids throwing harder than their bodies can support. Instead, we build our pitching philosophy around health, efficiency, and long-term development — not short-term trophies. We use the science-backed frameworks of Team Mustard (Tom House) and Driveline Youth Baseball to guide how we teach mechanics, track workloads, and structure bullpens.

Tom House once said, “We don’t teach kids how to pitch — we teach them how to move.” That’s what we believe too. With Mustard, we break down movements with objective data and give players tools to improve without guessing. With Driveline, we use age-appropriate throwing routines, strength building, and recovery protocols to ensure our pitchers grow into velocity safely — not get hurt trying to rush it.

Because at this level, it’s not about winning at all costs. It’s about teaching kids to love the game and take care of their bodies while they learn it.

We don’t have all the answers. But we’ve committed ourselves to using the best tools, the best knowledge, and the best intentions to protect our players. Because at the end of the day, we’d rather raise 12 healthy high school pitchers than one broken 12-year-old with a medal.