By Matt Browning
Chapman’s Maddie Harold is one of the top pitchers in Class 3A and being able to adequately take care of her arm during both the season and offseason is critical.
“After games there are stretches I do at home to help my arm recover quicker,” Harold said. “Some of my stretches involve me using a dumbbell and doing assisted bicep curls or laying on the ground and holding a dumbbell in the air while reaching towards the ceiling to stretch my trapezius and latissimus muscles. On days we don’t have games I will usually have a light throwing day at practice to let my arm rest for the next competition.”
The offseason recuperating process looks a little different for Harold than the regular season.
“Even in the offseason icing is always important because your body is not always warmed up as much as it would be before a game,” Harold said. “My recovery process in the offseason mainly consists of using a tens unit to ease my bicep and triceps muscles. I don’t use the cupping and scraping methods as much because my bullpens aren’t as intense as if I was throwing in a game.”
While Harold’s arm is the most important part of her body for pitching, she also recognizes that maintaining her entire body is crucial, too.
“I used to be so focused on taking care of just my arm and then I started experiencing pain in my quad and shins,” Harold said. “I have had troubles with a pulled quad muscle and I have been battling shin splints for about three years. It is so important that as a pitcher we focus more on our whole body and not just our arm. Ever since those injuries I have focused on taking care of my entire body.”
