MADISON, Wis. -- A growing trend of more sports-related injuries among young athletes is prompting researchers to get in the game.

Over the past two years, sports medicine experts say youth baseball injuries have increased three-fold -- specifically among pitchers -- who are either overdoing it or not doing it the right way.

Now, some have turned to a very innovative approach to help players improve their throwing while reducing their chance for getting hurt.

A camera is watching 10-year-old Saxton Shore's every move, but it's clear this isn't a typical baseball practice. Saxton is working on his game with some high-tech tools. The camera captures the boy's form to determine what he is doing right and most importantly, what he's doing wrong.

This is a new approach at University of Wisconsin Health to get to the root of an increase in injuries among youth pitchers, WISC-TV reported.

UW Health physical therapist Karl Fry said their efforts are focused on averting injuries.

"We really place strong emphasis on appropriate mechanics," Fry said. "We're seeing these kids, especially involved in multiple sports. They're not conditioning their arms appropriately in the off-season."

UW sports medicine experts said that they've noticed a three-fold increase in pitcher injuries over the last few years. Using a camera and computer, Fry is able to go frame by frame to pinpoint problems before an injury becomes a lifelong issue.

"The earlier you correct those, the better off a child is going to be," Fry said. "It certainly doesn't replace what a pitching coach would provide to that individual. It's more of an adjunct or a springboard, so the pitching coach can say, 'All right, we're going to work on these parameters.'"

This is why Saxton came to the program -- perfecting his pitch while preventing problems in the long run.

Experts said that this is just one more way to get to children early, before bad form gets them in the end.

"If it's not addressed, and they're starting to throw harder at an older age when they're mature, it can lead to a career-ending injury," Fry said.

UW Health's pitching analysis program is open to the public. It costs about $300 for the service.

However, if the use of it is injury-related, most insurance companies will cover it, officials said.

For More Info:

UW Health's Pitching Analysis Program