@PABaseball posted:Is he really a late bloomer? He's about the size of the average US male and he's a HS sophomore. Unless he's going to be 6'2 - he's on the normal path of a high schooler. How much bigger are the other sophomores that you feel he's behind physically?
How is his summer team? How do they place their guys? What do the last 2-3 senior classes for his club look like college wise? Is he going to be playing varsity this year?
Yes. He's a late bloomer. He was diagnosed with delayed puberty by an endocrinologist, and didn't have any signs of puberty at all until he was almost 14 years old (He was 4'11 at 14). Needless to say, there was a big difference between him and his teammates at that point, but he competed and kept at it. He's done a lot of growing in the last 2 years (10 inches and 50 pounds worth), but there is a big difference between a 5'9" kid who is fully grown and has a beard, and a 5'9" sophomore who could pass for an eighth grader. The doctor says he has probably has almost two years left of growth and should end up around 6'.
It's also about the athleticism, strength, and coordination that continues to come along with late puberty/end of puberty rather than just his size.
In terms of his summer team, he's on a new team this year. It's not a high level team, but how they place their guys is a conversation I need to have with them. They are doing some local showcase tournaments this summer. In terms of playing varsity this year, it is possible he plays this year (he's been told he has a chance), but it's also possible he ends up on JV, where he was last year.