<p>The “facts” as presented seem rather odd to me.
At 9 years old, our sons played Little League baseball, on a “majors” teams made up of 9 to 12 year olds. Pitchers in our local league (usually 11-12 year olds) routinely threw in the low- to mid-60s. Throwing 40 mph in youth baseball is not a big deal – either the facts are wrong or the kid is playing in a very rudimentary “instructional league” with players who should be hitting softer balls off tees.<br>
All our players were screened through try-outs to make sure they had sufficient physical development to participate safely. If these kids can’t get out of the way of a 40 mph pitch, then they shouldn’t be fielding batted balls or catching throws on the field either.
It would seem to me that the parents and coaches should focus on moving the kid up to better competition (a positive) rather than banning him from playing (a negative).</p>