Tom Kerester of Realty Investment Advisors says he talks to a lot of moms at open houses. The conversation sometimes turns to softball.

“I won’t let my daughter pitch,” they tell him.
For 24 years Kerester has worked as a Realtor® in Northern Virginia, and for the last 12 he’s volunteered with local youth softball teams. He teaches young pitchers about a method of delivering the ball that is considered by some to be safer, known as the “figure eight” technique.

According to a May 2014 Johns Hopkins Medical Center report , more than 40 thousand youth softball players were injured from 2014-2015. Kerester believes there is a strong connection between certain injuries and popular “windmill” pitching styles.

“Kids as early as nine and 10 years old are throwing-out their rotator cuffs,” Kerester says.


“When they pitch with the windmill, they jump, and that small jump causes them to be closer to the batter when they release the ball, which is more dangerous. Kids become afraid to bat,” he continued.

A neighbor asked Kerester, while watching the kids’ softball game, if Kerester could help. Kerester says that while volunteering for local teams he noticed more and more parents coming to him about his technique.

He mentions the shift of parents’ interest from dropping their kids off at softball to being engaged and asking how to become more involved.

“More parents were asking questions; they were becoming more aware of the risks and understanding why technique is an important key to safety,” Kerester said.
Kerester made a YouTube video (http://ow.ly/PXgq30csITb) to share with neighbors and coaches, spreading the word about the safer technique.  
“Coaches and parents are telling me to do a clinic, and that is something we are looking at,” said Kerester, of his expanding influence as a local instructor.

“What’s interesting about all this is the people you meet,” Kerester said of his time volunteering.

“Nobody ever said, ‘How is real estate?’” Kerester added. “I never pushed it and would only offer information when they asked. My main thought was teaching the kids and teaching the teachers that there are other methods.”

Steve Russell is the NVAR editorial and social media specialist.