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Youth Athlete Growth Spurts: Why a Familiar Training Load May Feel Different

Why a Familiar Training Load Can Feel Different During a Growth Spurt

A familiar training load can feel different during a growth spurt because quick growth changes body size and center of gravity. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says balance and body control may dip for a while as the brain adjusts. That can look like clumsiness, not lack of effort. Log what changes, and ask a pediatrician about pain that keeps returning. The decision this page helps with: keep watching, talk with the coach, or bring a record to a pediatrician. It is general education, not a way to tell whether your child is in a growth spurt or has an injury. Training load is the AAP’s term for the total duration, intensity, and type of activity a young athlete’s body must handle.

Get Help First If You See These Signs

Head injury: The CDC says a concussion can come from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or from a hit to the body that makes the head and brain move quickly back and forth. It says a child with a concussion needs to be seen by a health care provider. Fall or blow to an arm or leg: The AAP says growth plate injuries are fractures, and some come from a fall or a blow to a limb. If that happens, ask a health professional to look at it. In an emergency, call your local emergency number. Do not wait to fill out a log.

How to Use This Page: A Four-Step Map

  1. Read the short explainer on coordination changes and repeated discomfort below.
  2. Start the growth-and-function log and fill it in weekly.
  3. Read the log using the conditional next steps.
  4. Bring it to the right person: the coach for schedule and skill questions, a pediatrician for pain or health questions.

What Are Coordination Changes, and Which Sports Show Them?

Puberty is a period of rapid growth. The AAP says that once it begins, both boys and girls go through an adolescent growth spurt. On average, girls’ rapid growth happens around age 11½, but it can begin as early as 8 or as late as 14. Boys usually trail girls by about two years. Growth can help performance, since bigger bodies, hormones, and muscle strength can all improve it. The AAP also says there may be a temporary decline in balance skills and body control. Height and weight can rise quickly, which changes the body’s center of gravity. The brain may need time to adjust to the higher “observation point.” The AAP says this is most noticeable in sports that need balance and body control, such as figure skating, diving, gymnastics, and basketball. Longer arms and legs can also affect:
  • Throwing any type of ball
  • Hitting with a bat or racquet
  • Catching with a glove or lacrosse stick
  • Swimming
  • Jumping
The AAP adds that coaches who know about the growth spurt can help reduce awkwardness by building specific aspects into practice. It also stresses that puberty is temporary. The sources do not say how long a coordination dip lasts for any one child.

Why Does Repeated Discomfort Deserve Attention?

The AAP explains that the growth plate is a section of cartilage inside the ends of a child’s bones. The cartilage later turns into bone once growth is finished. The growth plate is responsible for growth. It is more delicate than the surrounding bone, muscle, tendons, or ligaments, and it is weakest during the fastest growth. Growth plate injuries can come from a single event or from overuse, meaning repeated stress over time. A separate AAP page estimates that about 50% of sports injuries in kids result from overuse. It says overuse injuries develop over time when training load is out of balance, and that they may not show swelling or bruising. The AAP describes overuse injuries as generally following these stages:
  • Stage 1: pain in one area after games or workouts
  • Stage 2: pain while playing or practicing that does not hurt performance
  • Stage 3: more serious pain that keeps the child from the sport
  • Stage 4: chronic pain even at rest
The AAP also says some discomfort is part of athletics, but consistently ignoring the body’s signals can lead to serious injuries. It calls “playing through the pain” a mistaken idea of safety. None of this means every ache is a growth problem. It means a pattern of repeated discomfort is worth writing down and sharing.

The Growth-and-Function Log: A Printable Weekly Checklist

Fill this out once a week, on the same day. Use your athlete’s own words where you can. If you already track schedules, this pairs well with our weekly practice, game, and recovery log.
  1. Week of: ____________   Age and sport(s): ____________
  2. Load this week
    • Practices, games, lessons, and other sessions: ____ sessions, about ____ minutes
    • Number of teams or sports at the same time: ____
    • Full rest days: ____
    • Change from last week: bigger / about the same / smaller (about ____ %)
  3. Function notes (what feels different, in the athlete’s words)
    • Balance or body control: ____________
    • Throwing, hitting, catching, swimming, or jumping (circle any that apply): ____________
    • Skills that used to feel easy: ____________
  4. Discomfort notes (describe, do not diagnose)
    • Where: ____________
    • When: after activity / during activity / limits play / keeps them out / at rest
    • How many days this week: ____
  5. Recovery context: average nightly sleep about ____ hours. A longer sleep log can go alongside this one.
  6. Growth notes: any height measurement you already have, such as from a checkup: ____________. The sources do not set a home-measuring schedule, so treat this as background only.
  7. Athlete’s own comment: ____________
The AAP gives one recommendation that athletes not add more than 10% to 20% to their weekly training loads at a time. Item 2 helps you notice whether a jump happened. Our weekly training-load and rest map shows how to lay out school, travel, and sport in one view.

How to Read the Log: Conditional Next Steps

These next steps are this site’s editorial suggestions, not AAP instructions.
  • If function notes change but there is no discomfort: share the log with the coach and ask whether practice accounts for growth-related coordination changes. The AAP says aware coaches can help.
  • If discomfort repeats across weeks, or your notes seem to move toward the later stages above: bring the log to a pediatrician. The stages are an educational reference, not a diagnosis.
  • If discomfort limits play, keeps your child out, or happens at rest: ask a pediatrician about it soon rather than waiting for more entries.
  • If none of these apply: keep logging, especially when load or schedule changes.
The AAP also suggests a sports physical at least 6 weeks before a season, which is a chance to ask about overuse. If you are unsure which guide fits your situation, start with Start Here.

What This Page Cannot Tell You

  • Whether your child is currently in a growth spurt.
  • Whether a specific ache is minor or serious.
  • How long a coordination dip will last, or exactly how much training is right during rapid growth. The sources give general guidance, not a growth-spurt-specific number.
  • Whether the schedule is safe. A log shows patterns; it does not promise outcomes.
The main AAP puberty article was last updated in 2016, so ask your pediatrician if newer advice applies to your child.

Sources

Educational Disclaimer

This article is general educational information for parents and coaches. It is not medical advice and cannot diagnose or treat any condition. It does not replace care from your child’s pediatrician or another qualified health professional. Our medical and training disclaimer explains where training education ends and medical care begins. In an emergency, contact local emergency services. By YouthPerformanceTrainer.com Editorial Team. Last updated September 25, 2026.

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