Growing Pains: What It’s Like to Go Through Growth Spurts as an Athlete

Being an athlete is hard. Being an athlete while your body is growing faster than your brain can keep up with? That’s a whole different challenge.

If you’ve ever felt like your legs got longer overnight, your coordination disappeared, or the things that felt easy last season suddenly feel awkward ... you’re not alone. Growth spurts are a normal part of becoming a stronger, more powerful athlete. But they can also be frustrating, confusing, and even scary.

Let’s talk about what really happens during growth and how to handle it.

Your body is changing faster than your skills

When you go through a growth spurt, parts of your body don’t grow at the same time or at the same speed. Your legs might grow first. Then your arms. Then your hands and feet. Your muscles have to “catch up” to support those new limbs.

That’s why you might:

• feel clumsy or unbalanced

• lose your timing

• miss passes you used to make

• feel slower or tighter

• struggle with footwork or agility

This doesn’t mean you’re getting worse, it means your body is literally rebuilding your athletic ability.

Your brain has to relearn your body

When your body changes, your brain has to update its “map” of how you move. The old patterns don’t match your new body. Imagine you suddenly got a different-sized bike you wouldn’t ride it perfectly right away. You’d wobble, adjust, and eventually feel comfortable again. Your body works the same way.

This is why patience matters. The new version of you just needs reps.

Growth can bring soreness and stiffness

Growing puts stress on bones, tendons, and joints. You may feel:

• knee soreness (especially around the kneecap)

• tight hamstrings or calves

• back stiffness

• random aches that seem to appear and disappear

This is normal, but it’s also a sign you need extra care right now. Mobility work, soft tissue, good warmups, and proper cool-downs. The goal isn’t just to survive growth it’s to support your body through it.

It feels mentally tough and that matters

Growth doesn’t only affect your physical game. It can change the confidence you feel in your skills.

Athletes often think:

• “Why am I getting worse?”

• “Everyone else is improving but me.”

• “Maybe I don’t belong at this level anymore.”

Those thoughts are real, but they’re temporary. Growth is like a storm; it feels chaotic while it’s happening, but when it clears, everything moves faster and stronger.

The hard part now becomes your advantage later.

How to handle growth like an athlete

1. Focus on movement quality, not just speed

Take your time with footwork, form, and technique. Precision now builds power later.

2. Warm up more than you used to

Your body needs extra time to “wake up”:

• mobility

• activation

• dynamic movement

• light skill work

This prevents pain and builds coordination.

3. Strength training is your friend

You’re not just getting taller you need stronger muscles to support each new inch. Bodyweight strength, jumps, stability work, and basic lifting can all help.

4. Don’t compare yourself to last season

You’re a different athlete now. Compare yourself to your daily commitment, not your old stats.

5. Communicate with coaches

Tell them when you’re sore, stiff, or frustrated. Good coaches adjust training, they don’t punish growth.

The athlete you’re becoming is worth it

Here’s the truth. The taller, stronger, more powerful version of you is loading into place. Your job is to stay patient, stay positive, and keep practicing through the awkward stages.

Soon, your coordination will catch up, your speed will return, and your strength will feel natural. And when it does, you’ll have a new ceiling, higher than you’ve ever had before.

Growing is not losing progress, it’s building a new level of potential.