Injuries in baseball players of all ages are on the rise according to recent sports medicine studies--but you don't have to be part of that statistic.

There's a slow-motion epidemic of arm injuries happening in youth baseball, but it's one that can be both prevented--and treated. The statistics for baseball injuries are grim:

• 30% of kids ages 9 to 19 who play baseball experience shoulder pain
• 50% of all youth pitchers reported elbow or shoulder pain
• 100% increase in pitching-related injuries from Little League to high school
• 700% increase in high schoolers undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery since 2000

Through years of working hand-in-hand, Dr. Christopher Ahmad and John Gallucci Jr., DPT have seen this recent influx in baseball injuries that require surgery followed by extensive post-operative physical therapy.

After seeing their number of surgical cases increase every year, Ahmad and Gallucci teamed up with a mission to create a true resource for coaches, parents, and athletes to use to learn more about how to prevent injuries as well as educate themselves on the recovery process if an injury is sustained.

Play Ball is their guide designed for parents, coaches, and athletes to make the best decisions possible. Written in layman's terms, Play Ball is an easy, conversational read that will answer your most pressing concerns. Don't let an injury sideline you or any ball player in your family.

About the Author: Christopher S. Ahmad, MD, specializes in ACL knee injuries, meniscus and cartilage injuries, instability and labral tears of the shoulder, rotator cuff pathology, Tommy John surgery, and advanced arthroscopic surgical techniques for sports-related injuries of the knee, shoulder, and elbow. Dr. Ahmad is the Head Team Physician for the New York Yankees, the Rockland Boulders, the New York City Football Club of Major League Soccer, and several high schools throughout Manhattan and New Jersey. Additionally, he is a member of the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association, serves as a consultant for local metropolitan gymnastics and swim teams, and is the official medical provider to the FC Westchester Soccer Academy.

The recipient of several awards for outstanding research in the field of Sports Medicine, Dr. Ahmad conducts ongoing research in the areas of ACL injury prevention and screening, biometrics of the elbow, and surgical techniques for rotator cuff shoulder instability repair. He has authored more than 200 articles and 50 book chapters related to shoulder, elbow and sports medicine and has presented over 250 lectures nationally, and internationally. Dr. Ahmad edited two influential textbooks: Minimally Invasive Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Injuries.

He earned his undergraduate degree in engineering while playing four years of Division 1 varsity soccer at nationally ranked Columbia University. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and three children.

John Gallucci, Jr., MS, ATC, PT, DPT, the dynamic President and CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, is in demand for his expertise in injury prevention, rehabilitation, sports medicine, and athletic conditioning. He has appeared often on radio and television, including ESPN's award-winning Outside the Lines, MSG Varsity, NJ News 12, and WFAN. Gallucci is a popular public speaker.

Gallucci has made a major impact in his fields throughout the New York/New Jersey area, and holds a national presence in the sports medicine community. JAG Physical Therapy now offers comprehensive orthopedic outpatient centers in West Orange, Warren, Cedar Knolls, Union, Hackensack, Woodbridge, Fairfield, Old Bridge, Holmdel, Chatham and Princeton, New Jersey, as well as Sleepy Hollow, Yonkers, Hawthorne, and New York, NY.

Currently, John is the Medical Coordinator for Major League Soccer (MLS), coordinating the medical care of more than 500 professional soccer players. Gallucci is the former Head Trainer of the New York Red Bulls MLS team and is a Sports Medicine consultant for professional athletes in the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, and USA Wrestling. John has also worked in the Athletic Departments of Columbia University, New York University, and Long Island University, as well as being a Clinical Instructor at Columbia University, Seton Hall University, Rutgers University, and Dominican College. John is the former Program Director of Barnabas Health's Sport Medicine Institute and also serves as the Chair of the New Jersey Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

In June 2017, John was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner, known as the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. In addition, John has been recognized as a two-time Smart CEO Future 50 Award Winner, 2016 NJ Biz Healthcare Heroes Education Hero Award Winner, and was featured by 201 Magazine as one of "20 People to Watch in Health" in 2016. In addition, JAG Physical Therapy is honored to be the most awarded physical therapy company in the Tri-State Area, including being recognized as the Physical Therapy Company of the Year by NJBIZ.