Late developer boy can't keep up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like he's doing great. He should focus on his own development and look around less.

If he's like my teen boys, then encouragement/praise from you will fall flat. He'll need to figure out his internal motivation; just sucks that you might have to just be there and observe when the instinct is "how can i help you get through this". Like others have said, this isn't just a swimming thing. At this age, differences abound (soccer, lacrosse, etc. etc. etc.). So if the focus only is winning and best times, then disappointment is inevitable at all levels of competition.

If anything being late to puberty is less of an issue in swim because he can just focus on beating his own best times. In other sports he'd be benched, which can really hurt development. Hopefully smart coaches will keep working with him knowing that he'll eventually hit his spurt.

[Anonymous]

My son has sort of the opposite issue. He's 11 and is huge for his age, and he hasn't really grown into his body yet. The smaller, leaner kids are much faster. I'm hoping if he sticks it out, he will be happier with his results. It's a difficult age for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How tall do you expect him to get?

Doctor’s calculator estimated 6’0-6’2 final height. Right now he is only about 5’4.5 and very thin and boyish (no apparent physical changes though I know the first signs aren’t necessarily outwardly visible). He’s about 100 pounds.

So he sounds like my swimmer. Dad is 6'4" and I am 5'8" - so generally you average parents height for a wild guess on height and then plus or minus 2 inches in either direction. Likely my son will be 6iish
.

You don't average parents' height to predict kid's final height. You average parents percentile within sex category and then apply that percentile to the kid's category.

Very tall man plus tall woman makes a slightly less very tall boy, probably near 6'2"

Guess what, even doctors tend to get it wrong even when measuring growth plates. Since we can't read DNA, it is all guess work.

[Anonymous]

Consider weight training for your son to promote muscle growth and testosterone production. Once puberty kicks in, the weight training will help his muscles develop rapidly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider weight training for your son to promote muscle growth and testosterone production. Once puberty kicks in, the weight training will help his muscles develop rapidly.

I strongly disagree with this. Body weight exercises only until puberty is well underway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consider weight training for your son to promote muscle growth and testosterone production. Once puberty kicks in, the weight training will help his muscles develop rapidly.

I strongly disagree with this. Body weight exercises only until puberty is well underway.

Depends on the weight training. Both you and the previous poster are making blanket statements, that, in a vacuum are garbage.

Nothing wrong with weights for even really young kids, but needs to be under strict supervision with carefully controlled progression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just let him swim for fun and stop pushign competative.

That’s a very simplistic and dismissive response. Some of these kids care very much about their sport and by 13, it can be a major part of their life, social circle, and identity. And timing of physical development is something that can’t be controlled. Dismissing a child’s concerns and feelings is helpful to no one.

Unironically, you're completely circular and self-answering here, thanks.

What else could you possibly suggest here given that we can all agree that this is completely out of their control?

It is what it is and sooner or later the child will need to understand this and resolve it on their terms.

In the mean time, if not continuing to swim -- for fun -- are you suggesting a self-defeating grind to burnout? Or, something else?

[Anonymous]

With swimming, and track as well, concentrate on your own time improvements. You can’t worry about the kid next to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consider weight training for your son to promote muscle growth and testosterone production. Once puberty kicks in, the weight training will help his muscles develop rapidly.

I strongly disagree with this. Body weight exercises only until puberty is well underway.

Depends on the weight training. Both you and the previous poster are making blanket statements, that, in a vacuum are garbage.

Nothing wrong with weights for even really young kids, but needs to be under strict supervision with carefully controlled progression.

Strength training is okay. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/strength-training/art-20047758

[Anonymous]

Oh dear. You’re looking to the Mayo Clinic for literature on performance. “Lift light weight slowly” smh. Great way to train yourself to live to be 100 year old, and remain in then slow lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I come at this as the parent of a late developing swimmer who is now 19.

My kid was NOT a super fast age group swimmer. He got hypothermia swimming outside during covid because he was so thin that he couldn't keep himself warm without a good heater and access to a locker room. At 13, he was about 5'4 and 95 lbs. But he LOVED swimming. He was the kid who showed up at EVERY practice and worked hard. He'd celebrate every single second he dropped, every time he mastered some technique that his coach taught him.

In middle school, this kid was B/BB swimmer. Fast forward a few years and he had NCSA cuts. (By the end of his senior year, my kid was 6'2 and 155. The swimming kept the weight off for sure,) I call that 13& over group the "men against the boys" group. You really have to tell your kid that he's swimming against himself and celebrate HIS improvements. What is he happy about? No one is going to drop at every meet.

Everyone's hormones kick in at a different time. Watching puberty in a boy drove home that testosterone really is a drug! If the other kids get that kick now and he's keeping up, he will be pleasantly surprised when his kick comes at 16.

This, x1000... Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS 13.5 is really struggling mentally with swimming. He is late to puberty and still looks and sounds like a young boy, while all the swimmers in his practice group are growing tall, strong, and hairy, and blowing him away in the pool?

13.5 yr old boys are tall, strong, and hairy? Really?

Have you got an endocrine/hormone check for your son?

Yes! Have you ever looked around at a swim meet? The ones making finals are early developers and yes, they are tall, strong, and hairy by 13.5-14. It’s not unusual not to have really hit puberty at this age for boys, but when it comes to swimming, the ones who have not are not competitive with the ones who have.

The 12 year old boys winning the big meets around here look like they could have drivers' licenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh dear. You’re looking to the Mayo Clinic for literature on performance. “Lift light weight slowly” smh. Great way to train yourself to live to be 100 year old, and remain in then slow lane.

Are you arguing for or against weight training for kids?

The use of the Mayo link, not by me, is to point out that weight training for kids is fine.

The only study ever done showing an impact on lifting heavy objects with "stunting growth" was done on forced labor children who were doing manual labor and being under fed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh dear. You’re looking to the Mayo Clinic for literature on performance. “Lift light weight slowly” smh. Great way to train yourself to live to be 100 year old, and remain in then slow lane.

Are you arguing for or against weight training for kids?

The use of the Mayo link, not by me, is to point out that weight training for kids is fine.

The only study ever done showing an impact on lifting heavy objects with "stunting growth" was done on forced labor children who were doing manual labor and being under fed.

Saying the Mayo Clinic doesn’t know (or care) anything about training youth athletes, so this article is worthless.

And I’m in favor of kids, even young kids, doing proper training with proper supervision. Most kids that train do so without specific purpose and intent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh dear. You’re looking to the Mayo Clinic for literature on performance. “Lift light weight slowly” smh. Great way to train yourself to live to be 100 year old, and remain in then slow lane.

Are you arguing for or against weight training for kids?

The use of the Mayo link, not by me, is to point out that weight training for kids is fine.

The only study ever done showing an impact on lifting heavy objects with "stunting growth" was done on forced labor children who were doing manual labor and being under fed.

Saying the Mayo Clinic doesn’t know (or care) anything about training youth athletes, so this article is worthless.

And I’m in favor of kids, even young kids, doing proper training with proper supervision. Most kids that train do so without specific purpose and intent.

DP. I agree that proper supervision and appropriate exercises/weight are necessary for kids who are strength training. Heck, even most adults could use this, but they're too cheap to hire a personal trainer for 6 months and learn how to train properly.

In the OP's case, I was a late developer but started weight training with a friend and his dad. I added some muscle and definition over time, but it was hard to build a solid base. Learning proper form and using appropriate weights can set your son up for success when puberty kicks in - you can't jump start puberty, but you can prepare for it.