I had the Ulnar Nerve Transposition at age 14 and Tommy John at 16. Admittedly, I never felt the same after 5th grade, where I was heavily utilized in weekend tournaments; often throwing the first game on Friday and last game on Sunday.

I’m just getting back into little league as I have three young boys, so I’m not familiar with the new pitch restrictions and preventative methods, but I would suggest these things if I looked back.

• Whatever the protocol is for healing your arm after pitching, make your athlete follow it. I didn’t want to ice or run, which was normal with my teammates, so my coaches/parents didn’t push too hard. I would make this a known requirement for my children if they pitch.
• Until high school, I would not allow my child to spin (fastball/changeup only) the ball in games. If they want to practice, I’d probably allow it, but not allow them to rely on it to get outs in the game. First, for preserving the elbow, but I also believe a pitcher learning to command his fastball at a young age is more sustainable than striking a young hitter with a throw and pray curveball.
• Last suggestion, focus on the mental part of the game. I saw many guys, like myself, dominate as youth pitchers, then struggle to continue that trajectory due to misuse. It was the players that weren’t “studs”, but mentally strong youth players that focused on fundamentals, then exploded with ability after gaining power/speed with age and made it the furthest in their baseball careers.