Small/late growing kids and athletics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was always the smallest boy in his grade. In MS, he joined a crew team and was the coxswain.

Do public schools have crew?

I mean, we just want someone to commiserate with me and tell me that it does suck. I don’t need solutions or ideas or stories about how things got better. It just sucks right now.

There are plenty of MCPS high school crew teams. Of course there was that Whitman scandal where the coach sexually abused his crew recruits and the parent board knew but didn't do a thing until it turned up in the WaPo...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- I raise my hand.

My firstborn was a late grower but he always had a more muscular/larger frame so he didn't look as small. He went from 5'1" at 14 to 6'0" now at 17 and dr said growth plates still open. He is predicted to be 6'2". My brother grew 2 inches in college and even I (a woman!) grew 1 inch in college. He finally started getting recognized in his sport last summer (after Sophomore year) when everything kind of caught up. His speed increased dramatically after the growth spurt, testosterone burst and having relied on skill and brains on the field-it paid off

Unfortunately, my 14-year old is not only shorter but so, so skinny (no matter what he eats). Literally, skin and bones (though some impressive muscle definiton ). So, yeah, around 7th-8th grade is when he really started to see less play time and kids that were now much larger were being played in favor of the other little guys. The physicality really made a difference.

This year, as a Freshmen, I can see it's even worse for him. There's just no match when he's playing guys 6-8 inches taller, deep voices, testosterone, 'filled out'. I can see he looks like a baby in comparison. He does all of the correct training and eating the right things, getting enough sleep, etc., and he can hang in there when he's in the game--but he's not a first choice anymore, sometimes not even a second. His skill is still much higher than a lot of the kids now playing over him so I remind him of that and what happened with his brother who is now being actively recruited. I think this kid is even farther behind than his brother because he was still losing baby this Fall (all normal according to doctor and dentist). His feet recently starting growing and right after Christmas he grew an inch so I'm hoping 15-15.5 is a big growth spurt for him,

All I can say is that I sympathize OP. It is so hard on these late bloomers. And, like the other pp, he was so good at basketball and loved it so much so it was really sad to see him give it up and get discouraged. Thankfully, his other sport isn't quite so height specific.

Yes I relate to this SO SO MUCH. Thank you for posting. It really is so hard to see them get so discouraged when what is happening to them is through no fault of their own. They are on the team because they do have the skill but then they just don't get played.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was always the smallest boy in his grade. In MS, he joined a crew team and was the coxswain.

Do public schools have crew?

I mean, we just want someone to commiserate with me and tell me that it does suck. I don’t need solutions or ideas or stories about how things got better. It just sucks right now.

There are plenty of MCPS high school crew teams. Of course there was that Whitman scandal where the coach sexually abused his crew recruits and the parent board knew but didn't do a thing until it turned up in the WaPo...

'

Right but they are club teams that cost thousands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was always the smallest boy in his grade. In MS, he joined a crew team and was the coxswain.

Do public schools have crew?

I mean, we just want someone to commiserate with me and tell me that it does suck. I don’t need solutions or ideas or stories about how things got better. It just sucks right now.

I have no clue. He wanted to join a sport where his height wasn't a disadvantage. My friend mentioned that being a coxswain required him to be small/lightweight. I googled it and found a club fairly close by with a MS and HS program. It only sucks if you dwell on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was always the smallest boy in his grade. In MS, he joined a crew team and was the coxswain.

Do public schools have crew?

I mean, we just want someone to commiserate with me and tell me that it does suck. I don’t need solutions or ideas or stories about how things got better. It just sucks right now.

I have no clue. He wanted to join a sport where his height wasn't a disadvantage. My friend mentioned that being a coxswain required him to be small/lightweight. I googled it and found a club fairly close by with a MS and HS program. It only sucks if you dwell on it.

Oh and it was relatively cheap because we were charged less than a rower and it was heavily subsidized by donations. Also, he was an archer in MS and part of HS. He fenced for many years in ES and MS too. He was pretty quick compared to some of the people he fenced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine dropped sports.

same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Michael Jordan is the ultimate example. The story about him not making varsity as a freshman was because he was 5’10. He grew another 7 inches

Steph Curry stood at only 5'6" and weighed 130 pounds in his freshman and sophomore year of high school. He grew to 5'9" his junior year and had a big growth spurt, to about 6-foot, going into his senior year. Steph grew into his adult height of 6'3" in his sophomore year at Davidson College.

Scottie Pippen grew 7 inches from junior year to senior year in high school.

Dennis Rodman did not have his massive growth spurt until he was 19 !!

[Anonymous]

This is why my son plays tennis.

[Anonymous]

I can empathize. My 9th grader is not terribly small at 5’8 but is going through lots of growth spurts right now. He’s probably grown 3 inches since the start of school and suddenly seems uncoordinated. Rather than feeling good about his height, he’s completely discouraged and constantly getting small injuries like a rolled ankle when he trips over himself. He’s saying he may not want to continue with sports since there are so many bigger, faster and developed. He’s not going to be over 6 feet with our genes. It’s tough to watch and try to be encouraging. He switched from depressed to angry.

[Anonymous]

*switches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine dropped sports.

same.

It’s such a bummer. My athletic but very short son did too by the end of 8th grade. He was chosen to be in all star little league teams, played and started club soccer, was a fast small guard for basketball in elementary school. He just couldn’t keep up once other boys started really growing. He is in 10th grade and 5’4”. He started swimming this fall so I hope he makes the high school swim team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m dreading this happening with my boys who are both 15% or less for height. Parents are not short but none X-ray shows growth delay by a couple of years. In late elementary school I’m already seeing how sports will likely get harder due to size in middle and high school years.

This is my son and it sucks. He is in high school and in 10% percentile for height. He hates it. I googled let lengthening surgery last week because he told me how unhappy he is. I wish I could fix it and make things better for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michael Jordan is the ultimate example. The story about him not making varsity as a freshman was because he was 5’10. He grew another 7 inches

Steph Curry stood at only 5'6" and weighed 130 pounds in his freshman and sophomore year of high school. He grew to 5'9" his junior year and had a big growth spurt, to about 6-foot, going into his senior year. Steph grew into his adult height of 6'3" in his sophomore year at Davidson College.

Scottie Pippen grew 7 inches from junior year to senior year in high school.

Dennis Rodman did not have his massive growth spurt until he was 19 !!

These are one in a million situations and don't help a thing.

I am better off helping my kid get through this disappointment. I am just venting here. - OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Michael Jordan is the ultimate example. The story about him not making varsity as a freshman was because he was 5’10. He grew another 7 inches

Average height for a 15 year old in 5’ 7”. 5’10” would put him in the 80-85% for a 15 year old. He could already dunk at 14 @ 5’8”. So was already an incredible athlete. I have seen a few future pro athletes in high school and they really stand out. He was not cut but did not make varsity and was on the JV team as a freshman. He called that being cut because he is kind of a psycho.


As for OP. Everything for the boys changes after puberty 9th -10th grade. A lot of time the “dominant” athletes in middle school just do not keep up. Size and speed are what coaches look for. Remember it’s high school. So not everyone on the team is an all star. There are lots of okay athletes, a few really good athletes and maybe one great athlete. In soccer they say you need 8 people to move the piano and 3 to play it. The piano movers alway out number the piano players- ie lots of roles players. So there is always hope.

If you kid likes it and wants to continue be supportive but by 9/10th grade he will know where he stands. Many kids quit at 13-14. They have been doing a sport for a big chunk if their free time and these club sports are brutal all consuming tyrants. He may want to do something else.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry OP. It’s hard. Same boat here. My 8th grade DS is 5’4” 100 (just now in the beginning stage of puberty, just grows 2IN a year like always and is skinny as a rail). He is a very good athlete but yes-playing time dramatically reduced by 7th grade. He is hanging in, in basketball and baseball this year but sees little playing time. Mostly has just been kept on club teams as a courtesy. It is probably his last year of both sports- even if he were to make the freshman team in either sport next year, I think he sees the writing on the wall. Even if he grows before then, he’ll have been on the bench for 2 years by then which has been demoralizing for him. I’m hoping he will try track and field, which is no cut. He also plays some golf in the summer and can continue that. The sad thing is DS Is not likely to end up particularly short- we are 6’2” and 5’7”. Seems likely he will catch up to average height at minimum but it will be too late. He is pretty bummed about it- it has been really tough on him socially because sports has always been his outlet and way to make friends. But he has been left in the dust.

My 6th grade DS will likely face the same thing, starting soon. He’s 5’1” 90 but hasn’t started puberty at all. Plays on a top travel baseball team but I’m sure this will be the last year- everyone else will grow and he won’t. For now, he is oblivious, and keeps up fine.

I think the solution is more rec leagues or hybrid type leagues (local lower level club teams etc). The late developers have trouble competing in middle school and tend to drop off the popular travel teams in frustration. Schools should also carry a lot of freshman (A and B teams at minimum) in the major team sports as the boys really aren’t finished growing yet. Some school do but not all.