Each year, SPEAR hosts a complimentary youth baseball injury prevention screening for the community.
“This is our way of giving back to our community and SPEAR’s grassroots response to the alarming increase in throwing injuries,” says SPEAR CEO an Co-Founder, Dan Rootenberg. “Surprisingly, over 50% of all Tommy John surgeries are performed on teenagers.” The event was created to help young athletes; the focus is on optimizing performance and preventing injury for a fun and safe season. This year’s clinic was a total home run!
Nelson Figueroa, current SNY broadcaster and former pitcher for the New York Mets, gives injury prevention advice to youth baseball coaches.
Over eighty attendees came together at our Murray Hill facility for expert guidance and insight on achieving their athletic goals safely. SPEAR’s CEO & Co-Founder, Dan Rootenberg, kicked off the event citing his experience throughout the years, including his time as a physical therapist at the World Baseball Clinic.
Dan has seen many injuries, some of which can take an athlete out for the season, or even altogether. It is vital for young athletes to learn the proper methods of injury prevention for athletic longevity; as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Our talented team of physical therapists administered hands-on guidance to the young athletes, performing detailed functional assessments, demonstrating proper methods of injury prevention and recommending exercise tips to follow at home for continual improvement.
Over 80 attendees met former major leaguer Nelson Figueroa, and learned how to prevent baseball injuries for the upcoming season.
SPEAR was very excited to have a special guest participating in the event—we were graciously joined by Nelson Figueroa, current SNY broadcaster and former pitcher for the New York Mets. Nelson has led a very full professional career in major league baseball and was the first pitcher to throw a no-hit shutout at Citi Field! Nelson spoke to the group about his journey thus far, the injuries he has endured and the setbacks he has faced as a result.
Reflecting on his experience, Figueroa shared a poignant anecdote: “Injury prevention is so huge because if you’re injured or you’re hurt, you fall out of love with the game.” It was an honor to have such a brilliant athlete contribute words of encouragement and inspiration to the youth group. SPEAR was also joined by Dr. Jonny Arnouk, current sports Orthopedic Surgeon at Mt. Sinai, who also holds a background working with professional sports leagues, once serving as a team physician for the Houston Astros. Dr. Arnouk contributed valuable advice and opened the floor up for questions on areas of focus and concern.
It was a fantastic opportunity for the kids to walk away equipped with more knowledge, straight from some of the best experts on the subject. With such a great turnout, this is a tradition we will continue to uphold, ensuring these star athletes can continue doing what they love for years to come.
The handouts that were given to attendees at the injury prevention baseball clinic.
