We don't typically think of it in these terms but when we THROW we are actually using the PULLing motion. Which means as we can strengthen our PULL we can therefore strengthen our THROW.
Throwing is something kids naturally love to do. For some kids they can find any object on the ground and pick it up and throw it (sometimes much to our dismay!). But, as natural as this movement may be it is not always easy for some and can become an advanced skill. Which is why we have included the softball throw as one of our foundational movements in our Thrive Kids program. We believe being able to throw well is a token indicator of a well-rounded athlete and also provides the opportunity to participate in many different physical activities. Plus, according to this video it may even help save a life...
There are many different ways that we can work on throwing and often times the more exposure we have the better. Throwing, while typically thought of as overhand, can take many forms such as underhand, granny-style, backwards, and two-handed overhead. As we work to strengthen all the different varieties of throws we are better able to build a well-rounded athlete.
One way to introduce accurate throwing is to simply play a game called "Hit the Target". The game is exactly as it sounds but it focuses on variance of balls, distance, and height. When we make these small changes in the game, we can focus on building a well-rounded athlete as opposed to the practice of consistently hitting the same target (which can also be important!).
At Thrive Kids we are working hard to build strong, confident leaders who are able and willing to take on whatever challenge comes there way. So we focus on building foundational movements, such as throwing, into our athletes so they are able to say "YES!" anytime someone asks them to participate in an activity.