JDP Senior: Ben

JDP senior Ben was injured as a runner and that changed the trajectory of his athletic career. He literally broke his L4 in his back because his growth was happening so quickly. The PT that resulted set Ben on a course of some serious PT of his own to strengthen himself and try to avoid injury in the future.

Ben recently competed in the CCPS Powerlifting Invitational. This was his first ever lifting competition and he took first place his 198-220 weight class!!! What was the record breaking lift? 1,045 pounds across his squat, bench press and deadlift! He came from out of nowhere and stole the show!

Fitness is so important to Ben because he realizes how vital it is for him as a pitcher for his main love, baseball! He’s been in a showcase team as pitcher for a couple of years. He loves throwing hard and striking out his batters.

Ben is a musician as well. Back in 4th grade his mom was hoping he’d play the trumpet and he was on board. But, alas the school was out of trumpets so he settled for the clarinet. More recently he’s taken up saxaphone as well which he enjoys more because it’s louder.

Ben’s grandfather has passed away, but his family saved his Hawaiian shirt which Ben wore as an homage to his grandad.

Ben’s uncle also came in clutch lending a jacket for some of his portraits as well! Ben’s still growing like a weed, which he’s pretty pumped about!

Ben’s desire has been to play baseball in college. Any parent with a college athlete knows a LOT of things are changing with some rule changes from the NCAA currently. Teams have been dramatically cut in size, making it much more challenging to get picked up.

Some of the offers Ben had meant he was already pitching faster than current players on the team and he was hoping to grow from those further along on this journey. So he decided on Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA.

I spoke with Ben about his protocols for helping to avoid shoulder injury. He shared how he tracks his workouts to ensure he’s never ‘in the hole’ when he pitches. Every workout/throwing session is ranked on a 1-10 scale and the key is no 2 consecutive days should ever exceed 10. Exceeding 10 is where the injuries happen.

Ben’s commitment to grow his skills as a pitcher is a multi faceted approach. He’s known for his strength, speed, throwing hard and base stealing. He’s dedicated to his workout routine and loves lifting. He is very regimented about his throwing drills and has a pitching mound and nets and weight room right at home.

We broke down Ben’s throwing in a series of his natural movements…quite a spectacle to see how hard that balls being released! In his sophomore year he was consistently throwing in low 70 mph. By the end of his sophomore year it was high 70’s. Junior year he was throwing in 80s and by the end of the year was at 88 with training from the national showcase he worked with. Today he’s in low 80’s consistently and has a top pull down of 88 mph!

Ben-what a blast creating was with you! We are cheering you on over here at JDP and look forward to hearing how those mph’s keep climbing!!

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JDP Senior: Ben

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