BUILT TO THROW
The baseline arm care system serious baseball and softball players need before they progress, build around “The Starting 9” foundational framework.
1 In 5 baseball players who experience a shoulder or elbow injury never return to their prior level of competition.
Most of those breakdowns don't happen because of bad mechanics or bad luck.
They happen because players lack consistent weekly structure.
This plan exists to change that number. It's the same baseline system I use with high school and college athletes who need a professional standard they can follow, not random drills they hope will work.
What You’ll Learn
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Why most arm injuries are structure problems, not mechanics problems, and how The Starting 9 gives serious players a weekly baseline instead of guesswork
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The exact Starting 9 framework used with competitive athletes to build arm capacity without adding more throwing volume or chasing soreness fixes
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How to build the foundation first, because serious players need a baseline before they progress to advanced programming.
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The difference between players who follow standards and players who guess, and why that gap shows up in durability, not just performance
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A progressive 6-week protocol that builds capacity over time, structured, scalable, and built to prepare athletes for higher-level training
What’s Inside the Plan
This is not a list of exercises you find on YouTube and forget about.
This is a structured 6-week progression built around The Starting 9, the foundational system serious players should complete before moving to advanced programming.
→ The complete Starting 9 framework breakdown with exercise progressions.
→ A 6-week protocol that scales intensity and volume appropriately.
→ Phase 1 (Weeks 1-3) and Phase 2 (Weeks 4-6) exercise progressions.
→ Clear guidance on when to modify, rest, or reach out for help.
This gives you structure. Not trends. Not hype. Not randomness.
It's designed to be your foundation, the baseline you complete before progressing to higher-level arm care and performance training.
Who This Plan Is For
This plan is built for serious baseball and softball players who understand that durability matters as much as velocity.
You should use this if you:
✓ Play competitive baseball or softball at the high school or college level (or are preparing to)
✓ Throw regularly and need a structured baseline to build arm capacity
✓ Want to reduce your breakdown risk without guessing or reacting to soreness
✓ Understand that serious players follow standards, not random routines
✓ Plan to play at the next level and need a foundation that supports long-term progression
This is also for parents of serious players who want their athlete following a professional baseline, not hoping their arm holds up through another season.
If you're looking for a quick fix or a velocity hack, this is not the right resource. This is foundational work that builds capacity through consistent structure over 6 weeks.
About Dr. Keagan Barrett, DPT
I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy and performance coach based in Phoenix, Arizona. I own and operate Valen Rehab & Performance, where I specialize in working with youth, high school, and collegiate baseball and softball athletes.
My work exists at the intersection of rehab and performance. I don't treat those as separate phases because they're not. Rehab should build capacity. Performance training should respect tissue health and readiness.
I built The Starting 9 framework because I saw too many serious players following random arm care routines with no structure, no progression, and no connection to their actual throwing workload. This plan represents the baseline standard I use with competitive athletes who need clarity instead of guesswork.
The mission behind this work is simple: 1 in 5 baseball players who experience arm injury never return to their prior level. I built this system to reduce that number.
