Supporting the back

Baseball is a type of sport that doesn’t just require power, speed, and technical dexterity but also subjects the players to serious physical strain. The back is challenged in particular – for example during rotational movements when swinging the bat or picking up and throwing the ball at great speed. Rapid changes of direction and sudden stopping when chasing down the ball or reaching the next base also make a demand on athletes’ back muscles. As a result, the risk of injury is very high.

In his mid 30s, Devon Ramirez, playing in the outfielder position for the Legionäre, is one of the oldest team members and knows back problems all too well: “When does my back cause trouble? As soon as I open my eyes,” jokes the American for whom baseball was a way out from difficult circumstances. He therefore has mixed feelings about his career as an elite athlete: “The amazing thing that baseball gave me was being able to play in different countries. Although they also ran you into the ground to some extent.”

In addition to his exertions during baseball, his everyday working life as an International Key Account Manager is also a challenge for Devon’s back: “I realized in the past two years that I won’t be able to earn money by playing baseball for the rest of my life and that I need a ‘real job’. Sitting at a desk, staring at a computer all day is quite a change. I don’t normally sit still.”