Thrower's Shoulder Prep with Bands and Balls

A partner warm-up for the shoulder before throwing: resistance band drills and progressive tennis ball throws. It protects the rotator cuff and teaches a routine students can repeat before any throwing event.

How to play

1. Arm circles, cross-body swings and shoulder blade mobility with no equipment (1 min).
2. External and internal rotation with a band: elbow tucked to the side, 12 reps per arm (2 min).
3. Y, T and W raises holding the band with both hands: 8 reps of each letter (2 min).
4. Partner throws with a tennis ball at 5 m, then 10 m and finally 15 m, with the elbow above the shoulder (3 min).

Rules

• Hold the band firmly and never let go while it is stretched.
• Throw only when your partner is looking and has hands ready.
• All pairs throw in the same direction, side by side.
• Throws start at 50% effort and never go above 80%.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: does the whole routine seated, with the band tied to the wheelchair or wall bars.
• Autism: gets the sequence on a picture card with the number of reps.
• Previous shoulder injury: does only the light band drills and skips the throws.

Learning goals

• Activate the shoulder stabilizers before throwing.
• Learn an injury prevention routine students can do on their own.
• Build up throwing intensity safely.

Equipment for a class of 25

• resistance bands: 14
• tennis balls: 14

Teacher tip

Ask students to memorize the routine so they can run it themselves in later classes. Check bands for nicks or tears before use.

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