CareNow® Urgent Care is proud to announce discounted sports physicals for K-12 students offered at a price of $35 through August 31, 2025. This offer will help families plan for fall sports activities for school-aged students by allowing them to take advantage of CareNow®’s extended and weekend hours.

Dr. Chad Nicholls – medical director for the Utah network of CareNow clinics – joined FOX13’s The PLACE Monday to talk about why it’s a good idea for parents to take advantage of the special promotion.

“Fall sports and extracurricular activities will be here before you know it, and tryouts often start well before the first day of school. Don’t wait for the back-to-school rush to get your child’s physicals completed,” Dr. Nicholls said. “Take advantage of the little flexibility you have left in summer and be prepared for the season ahead with CareNow®!”

Who needs a youth sports physical?

If your child is gearing up for tryouts, practice or any sort of physically active program, it’s possible a sports physical is either required or strongly recommended. Often, schools and athletic programs ask for a completed physical form before the first day of participation.

Some of the youth programs may include:

• Middle school and high school sports teams
• Cheer, dance and drill teams
• Marching band and color guard
• Recreational or club sports teams
• Sports camps, martial arts classes and other physical activities

Sports physicals are often required for student athletes, as well as marching band and color guard members. Parents and students are encouraged to check school guidelines for pre-participation requirements prior to training camps and summer practices.

Check with your child’s school or after-school program to see if a sports physical is required. Even if one is not, a physical can offer you information that you can use to feel comfortable with your child’s participation. These are great opportunities for teens and pre-teens to ask questions about their health in a low-stress and supportive environment, as well.

“We offer extended hours, walk-in availability and Web Check-In® so you can get a physical done on your schedule — no appointment necessary,” Nicholls added. “At CareNow®, your visit is timely, straightforward and designed to ensure that your child is set up for success when they lace up for the next season.”

Keep in mind before your visit:
·         Bring all necessary forms and vaccination records.
·         Bring any glasses or contacts (if worn), and medications the student takes regularly.
·         Students under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
·         Additional forms are $6 each.
·         EKGs are not included in the promotional price.

What to expect during a physical

A sports physical — also called a pre-participation physical exam (PPE) — is a simple visit that helps make sure your child is generally healthy and physically ready for the activities they love. It is performed by one of CareNow®’s healthcare providers and should be completed a few weeks in advance of the activity, camp, or training sessions.

Usually, the exam takes around 30 minutes and includes a few key elements:

• A conversation about medical history: A provider will start by reviewing your child’s personal and family health history. This may include questions about issues like asthma or heart conditions. They might also discuss past injuries like concussions or fractures, as well as any medications that your child is taking. It’s also an opportunity to bring up any health changes you’ve noticed recently, even if they seem minor.
• A check of vitals and basic measurements: Next, a provider will take readings of blood pressure, heart rate, weight, height and sometimes vision. These measurements help establish baselines and detect anything that may need further attention like high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm or vision concerns.
• A full physical exam: A provider will complete a physical exam focused on your child’s muscles, joints, heart, lungs, spine and flexibility. They may ask your child to perform a few quick motions like walking on tiptoes or bending their knees — these tests help to assess balance and range of motion, along with identifying any potential risks before the season starts.

The most common injuries in youth sports are sprains, strains, bruises, growth plate injuries, repetition motion injuries and heat-related illness. In addition to getting a physical, doctors recommend healthy diet, regular exercise, staying hydrated and avoiding playing through pain.

Utah CareNow® Urgent Care locations
The Utah CareNow® clinics are located in West Point, Bountiful, Salt Lake, Murray, West Jordan, South Jordan, American Fork and Orem. All are open seven days a week, including during extended evening hours. All locations accept walk-in visits and also have a convenient Web Check-In® option.

The eight CareNow® Urgent Care clinics across Northern Utah recently achieved reaccreditation through the Urgent Care Association (UCA), a distinction that recognizes the highest quality of care and service to patients. Fewer than 20% of all urgent care centers in the nation receive the UCA accreditation for having met all of the established standards and criteria for quality of patient care, safety and scope of services.

RELATED: Utah CareNow® centers earn reaccreditation from the Urgent Care Association

In addition to sports physicals – for medical situations that cannot wait for a scheduled appointment with a primary care physician, but are not serious enough to warrant a trip to an emergency room – CareNow® Urgent Care provides a convenient and affordable option for so many conditions, like cuts, burns, scrape, mild illnesses, minor injuries and more.

CareNow® Urgent Care clinics are equipped with X-ray, laboratory services and licensed providers able to perform minor procedures like suturing.

“Next time you or a loved one is hurting or dealing with a mild illness, trust our accredited clinics to provide convenient, affordable care,” Dr. Nicholls said. “Of course, for life-threatening emergencies, call 911. If you’re not sure whether an emergency room or urgent care clinic is right for your situation, call the free Consult-A-Nurse line at 435-900-STAR anytime, day or night.”

With over 225 accredited urgent care clinics located throughout the U.S., CareNow® Urgent Care is ready to serve you. Our clinics offer extended hours seven days a week to provide you with high-quality care when you need it.

Founded in 1993, CareNow® has grown to become one of the largest urgent care networks in the country. For more information about youth sports physicals and other CareNow® services, visit CareNow.com. To connect with CareNow on social media, visit the clinic’s page on Facebook and Instagram.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Johnny Franklin Murray VI, a native of Steubenville, is making waves in the sports world as he competes to become the next Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year.

The multi-talented athlete, who dreams of playing in both Major League Baseball and the NFL, is one of 25 finalists for the prestigious title.

“I am so happy. I thank God. I thank Jesus. I thank the Holy Spirit. I cried,” Norma Murray, Johnny’s mother, said, expressing her joy and gratitude for her son’s achievements.

Johnny, who excels in football, baseball, basketball, and track, attributes his success to the unwavering support of his coaches and parents.

“They really support me a lot and I just love them so much,” he said.

Johnny’s parents, Norma and John Franklin Murray V, entered him into the contest in February. They recently learned that Johnny was selected as a finalist, with the selection process considering his social media following, athletic highlights, and profile.

“He has just exceeded everyone’s expectations. He is a superstar in the making,” Norma Murray said.

“He’s just a true definition of an athlete and he loves it,’ Murry V said. “I think the biggest thing is more so for him just for the area. This will be something good because he is a representation of us as a whole collectively in the area in Ohio Valley.”

If Johnny wins, he will be featured in a Sports Illustrated ad and receive a $25,000 prize.

Voting is open until 7 p.m. on Aug. 7. To support Johnny, click HERE.

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Introduction

Injuries of the shoulder and elbow joints during baseball sports are numerous, and injuries among youth baseball players are particularly important because of their significant impact on later life.¹ In particular, elbow injuries sustained during adolescence, such as medial epicondylar apophysitis and osteochondritis dissecans, have been associated with chronic pain and restricted range of motion, potentially impairing athletic participation and daily activities in adulthood.² Among them, elbow injuries—especially those involving the growth plate such as medial epicondylar apophysitis and osteochondritis dissecans—have been associated with chronic pain and restricted range of motion, impairing both athletic participation and daily functioning in adulthood. These injuries are characteristic of growing athletes and are referred to as “Little League Elbow.” In fact, a recent study reported that approximately 30.7% of Japanese youth baseball players experience elbow disorders.³ Given their frequency and potential severity, this study focuses specifically on elbow injuries. Elbow joint injuries caused by pitching in youth baseball players can result from a variety of conditions, including medial epicondylar apophysitis, osteochondritis dissecans, and general overuse syndromes. In this study, we use the term “little league elbow” broadly to refer to elbow pain or injury related to throwing, consistent with the phrasing used in our survey questions.

The incidence of little league elbow in youth baseball is reported to result not only in pitching-related factors, such as the number of pitches thrown,^2,4,5 pitching form,^1,6 and pitching type⁷ but also in the player’s height⁸ shoulder joint flexibility^2,9 lower extremity instability,¹⁰ and being a pitcher.^2,7 Although the causal relation of most of these factors to the actual incidence of little league elbow is unclear, only the number of pitches thrown has been shown to be related to the incidence of little league elbow¹¹ The USA Baseball Association provides pitch count recommendations for each age group from school-age children to adults¹² For example, the number of pitches per day for 9–10 years old is set at 75 pitches per day. It is also said that limiting the number of pitches rather than the number of innings a game pitched can effectively reduce the risk of little league elbow.¹³ Additionally, it is reported that awareness and education on preventing the incidence of little league elbow among adults, such as coaches and parents, including the management to restrict pitching are important, especially in youth baseball.^13–15 Previous studies conducted outside of Japan have investigated coaches’ knowledge of and compliance with pitch count guidelines. Fazarale et al¹⁶ surveyed 95 youth baseball coaches in the Midwestern United States and found that while 73% of coaches reported that they followed the pitching guidelines, their average score on questions assessing actual knowledge of the guidelines was only 43%, with coaches of 11–12-year-olds scoring as low as 35%. Furthermore, 35% of coaches stated that their pitchers experienced shoulder or elbow pain during the season, and 19% admitted to allowing pitchers to play despite arm fatigue or soreness, indicating a gap between awareness and actual compliance. In addition, Bohne et al¹⁷ conducted a survey of 98 youth baseball players in the United States and found that 84.5% of respondents had never heard of the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee pitching guidelines, and even among older age groups, only 25.8% answered related questions correctly. Moreover, 61.1% of players stated that they would continue playing despite having a tired or sore arm, highlighting not only a lack of knowledge but also insufficient adherence in practice. Thus, both studies consistently point to a disconnect between the intention to follow safety guidelines and the actual implementation of them, emphasizing the need for targeted educational interventions for both coaches and players.

In Japan, the pitch count recommendations (50 pitches per day at full effort for elementary school students) were proposed by the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine in 1995.¹⁸ A study conducted in our laboratory 10 years ago surveyed coaches in Kyoto Prefecture and found that 39.8% of them had knowledge of the pitch count recommendations, while the compliance rate was 9.4%. These results were compared with data from coaches in the US, where awareness was higher but compliance remained similarly low.¹⁹ The study revealed that knowledge on the recommendations among coaches was similar to that in the US, but the ratio of compliance was lower than in the US The study with a higher response rate from coaches in 2017–2018 reported a 13% lower ratio of compliance than the previous study conducted in our laboratory, despite the fact that nearly all coaches responded “yes” to a single-question assessment regarding knowledge of the recommendations.²⁰

In Kyoto Prefecture, a medical examination of little league elbow for elementary school students was started in 2010. In addition to early detection of little league elbow, workshops and instruction on the injury have been held to raise awareness about prevention³ Additionally, the environment surrounding youth baseball has changed because the previous study was evaluated, with the Japan Boys League Baseball Foundation introducing “70 pitches per game” in a tournament rule as the baseball environment changes.²¹

Little league elbow is a serious problem for youth baseball players and must be prevented. Additionally, because baseball practice is conducted mainly by adults in youth baseball, the influence of coaches on the incidence of little league elbow is considered to be significant. Therefore, the knowledge and actions of youth baseball coaches might be important in preventing the incidence of little league elbow. Prior studies have assessed the availability of pitch count recommendations among coaches and comparisons of compliance with the recommendations by region. However, no research has investigated how coaches’ knowledge and compliance have changed over time in response to structural changes in the baseball environment, such as the formal institutionalization of pitch count rules by the Japan Boys League Foundation. Although it is important for coaches to have prior knowledge of the injuries in order to prevent the incidence of little league elbow, few studies have assessed the actual experience of coaches. This study aimed to show changes over time in the knowledge of pitch count recommendations and compliance with them by comparing with previous studies¹⁹ and to reveal actual coaching practices.

Methods

All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. To clarify coaches’ knowledge, compliance, and actual coaching practices, we conducted a cross-sectional study using a paper-based questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed in November 2021, during the off-season for most teams, and collected manually over a one-month period by staff of the Kyoto Boys’ Baseball Association. Questionnaires were either handed out in person or mailed to team coaches, and returned by mail or in person. A total of 242 questionnaires were distributed, and 172 completed responses were returned, yielding a response rate of 71.1%. Participants provided informed consent. The target population—teams affiliated with the Kyoto Boys’ Baseball Association—was the same as that in our previous study conducted 10 years ago by our laboratory, although the individual respondents were not necessarily the same.

The questionnaire consisted of four multi-part questions with the following themes:

(1) Basic information (age, gender, coaching experience, whether they were a parent of a player). Coaching experience was defined as the number of years actively engaged in coaching, regardless of prior athletic history,

(2) Knowledge of pitch count recommendations and little league elbow (1 item on knowledge of pitch count guidelines based on recommendations from the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine: “50 pitches per day at full effort, 200 per week or less”),

(3) Compliance with pitch count recommendations, and

(4) Participation in seminars or workshops related to injury prevention, coaching, or performance improvement.

The full questionnaire is presented in Appendix A. The items were identical to those used in our previous study to enable direct comparison.

Of the 242 total respondents, 70 were excluded due to missing data on basic information. Thus, 172 participants (from 80 teams) were included in the final analysis. The number of valid responses per variable ranged from 167 to 172, as some participants left individual items unanswered. To maintain data integrity, analyses were conducted using all available data per item, and the exact number of valid cases is reported in the Results section and table captions.

Basic information was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The knowledge retention rate and compliance rate were calculated in the same way as the previous study.¹⁹ Participants were grouped separately based on each of the following theme:

(1) whether or not they had knowledge of pitch count recommendations,

(2) compliance with the recommendations,

(3) participation in seminars or workshops, and

(4) parental status.

Group comparisons were conducted using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or chi-square test, depending on the type of variable, after testing for normality with the Shapiro–Wilk test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

Basic Information

Of the 172 participants, 169 (98.3%) were male and 3 (1.7%) were female. The average age was 45.5 years, and the mean coaching experience was 6.5 years (Table 1).

Table 1 Basic Information

Comparison with Previous Study on Knowledge and Compliance with Pitch Count Recommendations

A comparison between the current and previous study (Yukutake et al, 2013)¹⁹ is presented in Table 2. Of the 172 participants, 90 (52.3%) reported knowledge of the recommendations, compared to 45 (39.8%) of 113 in the previous study. Meanwhile, 38 (22.1%) reported compliance with the recommendations, compared to 32 (28.3%) previously. Compliance and knowledge were self-reported. The increase in knowledge was statistically significant (p = 0.038), whereas the difference in compliance was not (p = 0.23). Participants in both studies were coaches affiliated with the Kyoto Boys’ Baseball Association, but the samples did not include the same individuals.

Table 2 Presence of Knowledge and Compliance Compared to 10 Years Ago

Coaching Experience and Knowledge of Recommendations

Table 3 shows that coaches who reported knowledge of the pitch count recommendations had significantly longer coaching experience than those who did not (p = 0.03).

Table 3 Coaching Experience in Knowledge (n=166)

Age and Experience in Relation to Compliance

As shown in Table 4, coaches who complied with the recommendations were significantly younger (p = 0.01) than those who did not. Additionally, their coaching experience was shorter (p = 0.05), approaching statistical significance.

Table 4 Age and Coaching Experience in Compliance

Seminar Participation and Coaching Background

Table 5 presents the results regarding participation in seminars and workshops. Sixty-four of 167 respondents (38.3%) had attended seminars on injury prevention, and 49 (29.3%) had attended those on coaching or performance improvement.

Table 5 Age and Coaching Experience in Participation

Coaches who had attended injury prevention seminars were significantly older (p < 0.01) and had longer coaching experience (p<0.01) than those who had not.Similarly, those who had attended performance improvement seminars had significantly more coaching experience (p <0.01), although there was no significant difference in age between the two groups (p = 0.47).

Parental Status and Coaching Characteristics

Table 6 shows that 119 of the 172 coaches (69.2%) were parents of players. These coaches were significantly younger (p < 0.01) and had shorter coaching experience (p < 0.01) than non-parents. Moreover, they were significantly less likely to have attended seminars on injury prevention (p = 0.015) or coaching/performance improvement (p = 0.013).

Table 6 Age, Coaching Experience and Participation in Participation Among Parents of Players

Discussion

This study aimed to compare two cross-sectional cohorts drawn from teams affiliated with the same regional baseball organization, in terms of their knowledge of pitch count recommendations and compliance with them, and to clarify coaches’ prior knowledge of Little League Elbow and their actual coaching practices. Although the individual participants were not necessarily the same, both cohorts were recruited from the same organizational context, enabling a meaningful comparison at the group level.

The results of this study showed that 52.3% of the coaches in youth baseball teams of Kyoto Prefecture had knowledge on pitch count recommendations, an increase from 39.8% conducted in our laboratory 10 years ago;¹⁹ however, the participants were not necessarily the same individuals. Although knowledge increased over time, the compliance rate remained largely unchanged (22.1% in the current study vs 28.3% in the previous study), indicating a lack of improvement in adherence despite increased awareness.

This discrepancy highlights a persistent knowledge–behavior gap among youth baseball coaches. The findings suggest that while institutional efforts—such as the annual implementation of little league elbow screening programs in Kyoto Prefecture—may have raised awareness, they have not successfully translated into behavioral change. Previous research in Gunma Prefecture (2017–2018) reported a knowledge rate close to 100% but a compliance rate of only 15.5%,²⁰ suggesting that this discrepancy is not unique to Kyoto.

This phenomenon—where increased knowledge does not lead to behavioral change—may be shaped by broader psychological and cultural factors, such as adherence to traditional coaching beliefs, resistance to externally imposed rules, and pressure from parents or the team environment. Such trends may be particularly pronounced in the Japanese youth baseball context, where competition is intense and long-standing practices are deeply ingrained.

Interestingly, we found that coaches who complied with pitch count recommendations were significantly younger and had less coaching experience. In contrast, those with more knowledge and experience were less likely to comply. This finding may reflect greater behavioral adaptability in younger coaches who have not yet developed strong personal coaching philosophies, making them more open to adopting official guidelines. This pattern is consistent with findings by Cattet and Bainbridge,²² who reported that although experienced coaches often possess sufficient knowledge of injury prevention, they may resist changing long-standing coaching habits due to factors such as pressure to win, limited training opportunities, and adherence to traditional beliefs. These factors may contribute to a knowledge–behavior gap in coaching practice. We believe this is a critical insight and have highlighted it to underscore the importance of targeting interventions toward bridging the knowledge–behavior gap, especially among experienced coaches.

Coaches who did not comply with the recommendations were significantly older and tended to have longer coaching experience. Koester reported that coaches who do not have correct knowledge on sports technique often teach based on their own personal experience¹⁴ Additionally, it is said that even trained coaches often learn the technical aspects of their assignments by observing and listening to other coaches; therefore, both styles of coaching knowledge acquisition tend to spread misinformation and inappropriate theories, which can lead to injury incidence.¹⁴ A prior study reported that coaches often relied on their limited knowledge, thereby adopting commonly used prevention strategies.²³ In the results of this study, coaches who had knowledge also had longer coaching experience; therefore, it is possible that coaches with older age and longer coaching experience did not comply because of their experience and knowledge.

Of the 172 participants, 119 (69.2%) were parents of players. These coaches were significantly younger and had shorter coaching experience compared to those who were not parents. Moreover, parents were significantly less likely to attend seminars and workshops. This finding suggests that parents may serve in coaching roles only temporarily while their children are team members, thus having limited opportunities or motivation to participate in educational programs. Frequent and accessible seminars with lower costs may help increase participation among these coaches, many of whom may be constrained by time or financial resources^23–25 Although our study did not directly assess barriers to participation, we propose that adjusting seminar content, timing, and cost could help address these challenges.

Participation in such initiatives may provide coaches with updated knowledge, increase their awareness of injury mechanisms, and enhance their ability to communicate injury risks to players and parents. In our study, coaches with shorter coaching experience demonstrated higher compliance with pitch count recommendations than their more experienced counterparts. This suggests that less experienced coaches may be more receptive to official guidelines and adaptive in their coaching practices. Based on these findings, we emphasize the importance of reinforcing their compliance behavior by promoting knowledge acquisition through accessible and targeted educational efforts. Similar approaches may also be beneficial for player-parents, who often take on coaching roles but may lack formal training.

Despite their limited tenure, these coaches play important roles in injury prevention and should be supported through accessible and targeted educational efforts. Participation in injury prevention education programs may provide coaches with updated knowledge, increase their awareness of injury mechanisms, and enhance their ability to communicate injury risks to players and parents. At the same time, our findings indicate that more experienced coaches, despite having higher levels of knowledge and seminar participation, may show lower compliance. This suggests a reliance on personal experience over formal guidelines. To address this gap, future educational strategies should also focus on experienced coaches by providing case-based training, and creating environments where evidence-based guidelines are more actively integrated into long-standing coaching routines.

This study has several limitations. First, it was conducted within a single prefecture in Japan, which limits the generalizability of the findings. Second, while the two cohorts were drawn from the same regional baseball association, they did not consist of the same individuals; thus, changes over time cannot be interpreted as longitudinal trends. Third, responses relied on self-reported data, which may be influenced by recall or social desirability bias. In particular, compliance was self-assessed and may not reflect actual behavior. Also, the questionnaire used in this study employed yes/no response formats for knowledge items, which may limit the assessment of the accuracy or depth of respondents’ understanding. Additionally, we did not assess the accuracy of knowledge or the content and quality of seminars, and did not evaluate coaches’ athletic backgrounds, which may influence their coaching style and attitudes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study compared coaches’ knowledge and compliance with pitching recommendations to previous studies and revealed the extent of coaches’ prior knowledge on little league elbow and their actual coaching practices. The results suggest the need for prevention efforts, especially for coaches with a short experience in coaching and coaches who are parents of players, to encourage their participation in opportunities to gain knowledge about little league elbow.

Data Sharing Statement

This study cites data from “A Survey Examining the Correlations Between Japanese Little League Baseball Coaches’ Knowledge of and Compliance With Pitch Count Recommendations and Player Elbow Pain. Sports Health. 2013;5(3):239–243”. doi:10.1177/1941738113480341.

The datasets are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

This study was conducted with approval of the Kyoto University Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee (R3052), institution review board. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Acknowledgments

This paper has been uploaded to Research Square as a preprint: https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2587085/v1.

The authors thank Kyoto City Junior Sports Clubs Association Branch for their cooperation with the data collection.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Funding

There is no funding to report.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Last summer, Chris Paul was, like many Southern Californians, curious about the new Inglewood arena that the Los Angeles Clippers were only weeks away from opening.

Unlike most locals, however, Paul had been one of the best players in the NBA while playing for the Clippers from 2011-17. And although he was about to play for the San Antonio Spurs, he still knew well the new arena’s ultimate tour guide: Steve Ballmer, the Clippers’ owner, who showed the point guard around.

“I was like, ‘Damn, I wonder what the locker room looks like?’” Paul said.

One year later, Paul walked back into the locker room before his introduction Monday as the Clippers’ latest offseason signing and took note of the differences between his two eras playing for the franchise. New arena, new logo and this: During his first stint, he headlined a team of young, athletic upstarts challenging the league’s entrenched title contenders. Next season, the 40-year-old Paul and the Clippers will still be pursuing their first NBA championship — but this time behind aspirations that hinge on the NBA’s oldest roster.

“There’s a lot of gratitude or whatnot to still get a chance to play at this age,” Paul said.

The NBA has never been more of a young man’s league. Last season’s average age was 26.3 years, and tireless young legs propelled both Oklahoma City and Indiana to June’s NBA Finals. Oklahoma City made the finals with an average age of 25.6 years, the second-youngest team to reach the championship round in the previous 70 years. And when the Thunder won the championship, they were the youngest to do so since 1977.

After the Clippers’ last season ended in the first round, the team’s top basketball executive, Lawrence Frank, described adding youth and athleticism as a priority.

Yet the Clippers have since become one of the NBA’s most fascinating teams by eschewing such youth, betting that experience will give them a puncher’s chance.

The team expects to play a nine-man rotation, Frank said this month, but could credibly go 11 deep. The average age of those 11 is more than 33 years old, which Yahoo Sports determined would be a year older than the previous oldest roster in NBA history.

“What’s age? It’s just a number, right?” Frank joked with reporters earlier this month.

At 40, Paul might be an outlier as the NBA’s second-oldest active player, behind only LeBron James, but he fits right into an offseason that has seen the team sign 37-year-old center Brook Lopez, retain 37-year-old do-everything forward Nicolas Batum, re-sign 36-year-old guard James Harden and sign 32-year-old former All-Star guard Bradley Beal. Of the team’s 11 players who are largely expected to earn regular playing time, just three — Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr. and offseason acquisition John Collins, all of whom will be 28 when the season begins — are under 30.

“The goal is to get this team as good as we possibly can get it, regardless of age, and everyone’s entitled to the judgments they want to make on the group,” Frank said last week, after the signing of Paul. “We’re super excited about the group. I think part of the things that, with age, typically, people worry about [is] increased chance for injury. That’s why we lean into the depth.”

The Clippers, clearly, see their experience as a strength. Yet there is a reason only the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks (31.6 years) and 1997-98 Chicago Bulls (32.1 years) have won NBA titles with an average age older than 31. Deep playoff runs require skill, which the Clippers undoubtedly possess, but also durability and stamina, and no one can foresee what next season holds for Beal, who has played 196 out of a possible 328 games his past four seasons, or Kawhi Leonard, who has played 157.

Yet when asked about the team’s age, Frank immediately recited that Paul and Lopez, the Clippers’ oldest players, had started a combined 162 out of 164 possible games just last season.

“So it’s not like these guys were productive three years ago, or four years ago, they were productive players last year,” Frank said.

The Clippers aren’t the only contender to believe it needed more seasoning. Houston was one of last season’s biggest success stories, producing the Western Conference’s second-best record despite owning the league’s ninth-youngest roster, with an average age, by minutes played, of 25.2. Yet after losing in the playoffs’ first round, Houston decided it needed Kevin Durant, who’ll turn 37 before the season starts, to realize its potential.

Going old in a league that skews young wasn’t the Clippers’ master plan. In the short term, and by Frank’s admission, landing Lopez as a free agent was no guarantee, Beal wasn’t initially expected to be available — becoming a free agent only after Phoenix bought his contract to the tune of $96 million — and signing Paul required the starter for virtually his entire two-decade career to accept a role as a reserve. The Clippers made those moves, ultimately, because they allowed the team to improve, regardless of age, while still being “disciplined to our plan,” Frank said.

That long-term plan, as rival executives view it, has seen the team unwilling to extend pricey contracts past 2026, a priority that will wipe clean virtually the Clippers’ entire current payroll within two seasons. It’s just the type of blank slate, in an attractive market like Los Angeles, that might woo a disgruntled star seeking a trade, or a big-name free agent.

Most teams would clear their books and transition for the future by filling the team with low-cost, younger players. Yet the Clippers have not begun a youth movement for a variety of reasons. One is resources: A 2019 trade with Oklahoma City hamstrung the number of available first-round picks the Clippers could use to theoretically rebuild their roster through the draft. As a workaround, the Clippers have tried giving second chances to young, talented players who had burned through their welcome with previous teams for either on-court or legal reasons, yet none has panned out.

Philosophy has also been a significant factor in why the Clippers have owned the league’s oldest roster each of the past three seasons. Ballmer, the owner and former Microsoft chief executive, does not believe that building a roster to intentionally lose its way to a top draft pick is good for business, or retaining fans in a city already saturated by its rival.

“Each year we are going to put the best possible team we can, while staying disciplined to our plan, to give ourselves and give our team and give our fans the best possible experience of a team that’s trying to compete at the highest level,” Frank said.

That was an attractive enough pitch for Paul, who wanted not only to chase a first championship in his 21st season, but to do so while living in the same city as his wife and children for the first time since he last left the Clippers, in 2017.

“Tell you the truth, my wife and my kids probably tired of me already,” Paul said.

Paul spoke with a broad smile all afternoon Monday when talking about his return to the franchise. But before he could exit a reception celebrating his reunion, one of the estimated 650 fans who had packed a court inside Intuit Dome spoke up, catching his attention.

Sitting a few rows back from a raised stage where Paul sat, the fan told Paul what had been said about the team’s offseason moves: that the team’s roster now included so many older 30-or-older players that they were being called “uncs,” or uncles.

“I’m definitely an ‘unc,’” Paul said. “I think we got a great mix of young guys, older guys and whatnot. And it’s up to us to figure it out.”