small but talented

Question
Hi, My son is a great ball player, but he is small. He is 10 yrs old and only ways 55lbs. I have a few questions. 1. he is a pitcher and throws pretty hard about 47-50mph lb for lb I think that is pretty good,  and are starting to have more or equal to power. He wants to be on top of his game, but with pitching (and batting) he soon will be out played. I don't know if any strength training is good for him? I think his age is ok by standards, but is his body size?, and if he can what can his little 55lb body possibly do to gain more strength to pitch faster, and hit the ball harder. We do work on long toss, but is there anything you can suggest? If we even should at all. Plus I want to know is he doing to much already ( throwing hard) were he might hurt himself because he weighs so little? Thanks for your time.

Answer
Gina,
    Sorry for the late reply Nokona has been updating their email server and since then I have been having a lot of trouble receiving emails.  
    Your son should not do weight training yet.  If you start weight training too soon it may stunt your growth.  I would worry to much about arm strength and power because in a couple of years this may all change.  Your son has not hit his growth spurt yet and he may end up taller than the other kids with a frame that he can fill with more strength.  
    I would focus on The fundamentals.  Making sure that he has perfect rotational hitting mechanics as well as throwing mechanics.  He can also do sprint training, footwork drills to make him faster.  A mistake your son could make is to compare himself with the bigger kids who have more power.  He needs to play his game.  Usually smaller players are the quicker ones who look for the base hits and work the pitcher during the at bats.  
    Long toss is a very good drill for improving arm strength so I would continue doing it.  I don't think he would hurt himself throwing hard because he weighs so little.  Just watch his pitch count, make sure he ices his arm, and gets enough rest in between starts.
    The Bratts Bat can be used to improve bat speed, strength, and power.  The Bratts Bat is a training bat that is heavier than the game bats.  They range from 35 ounces to 100 ounces.  I would suggest getting a 35 or 40 ounce Bratts bat.  If you do purchase one of these bats make sure he swings it with good form.  Sometimes a heavier bat can hurt mechanics if not done properly.  I am going to be making a training video with Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers using the Bratts Bat to improve strength, speed, and power.  This should be out by next season.

Again, Sorry for the late reply and let me know if I can help with anything further.

Thank You,
John Priest
Nokona Batman
www.nokonawreckingcrew.com