67. What We're Getting Wrong About Return to Throw Protocols for Young Pitchers With George Zirkel (PART 1)

PART 1 WITH GEORGE ZIRKEL | SEASON 4, EPISODE 12

Part 1 with George Zirkel discusses the topic of rehabilitating pitchers, including the importance of proper throwing programs, measuring intensity and feedback mechanisms, and conducting assessments to understand the individual's background and goals.

In this episode, we cover:

• What rehab means for pitchers
• What client population George works with
• What should be revised from the return to throw protocol
• What the goal arm speed and RPM values should be for pitchers
• What type of bands George uses for pitchers that he works with
• How George's pitching program utilizes the "three pillars"
• What George's first assessment looks like
• How George uses video in his assessments
• What the overall thrower evaluation looks like after getting the baseline data
• Thoughts on athletes playing fall baseball

George is the Director of Pitching and Associate Director of Operations at On Deck George and was the Director of Pitching at Ascent Athlete for nearly 4 years, where he coached hundreds of pitchers, including MLB, MiLB, college, high school, and youth pitchers. He also created an internship program in which aspiring coaches received educational training and gained hands-on experience working with athletes. George has spent years coordinating throwing plans with strength and conditioning coaches and physical therapists to ensure his pitchers are getting the best care possible.

In 2022, George completed his Master of Arts in Motor Learning and Control from Columbia University. In 2017 he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Susquehanna University. George played collegiately at Susquehanna University.