Growth, Size & Speed

Is it the size and weight change that has most affected his speed? Or has growth made him awkward? My daughter (softball) was real awkward after quick growth from 5'2 to 5'10". She went to speed/track camp in the summer. It got her speed back. She was so awkward she wasn't running properly.

My son bursted from 5'4" to 5'11" in one season. He only went from 120 to 135 in weight. He didn't lose any speed. He gained strength as he gained weight.

He grew from about 5'1" (I'd be guessing on his weight, but he was average in build, never fat, but never slight, either) to over 5'10", 160, within a relatively short period of time and has never been either lanky or stocky, but is now just well-muscled - but no longer built like a little boy.  A pretty nice athletic build, with not really an ounce of fat on him.  Hard to say why he feels slow (because now he hits the ball harder and further, so it has not seemed to hurt him in games   It's not all bad).  His feet and hands still look very large to me (I suspect that he is not done growing).  He does not look particularly awkward to me (oversized hands and feet aside), but he's always been very confident about his speed and it definitely bothers him that he does not feel like he is as fast as he once was.  Yes, he's in a running program (his idea) and if nothing else, I hope that will help him continue to adjust to his new size.

My son looked like the letter "L" in that time frame and ended up with size 14 shoes - he's now 6'5". He was never fast, but he wasn't slow in youth baseball. After the growth spurt he had to work hard at not being slow. I think it's different for every athlete.

@JucoDad posted:

My son looked like the letter "L" in that time frame

YES as to looking like the letter "L"!  Went from youth large batting gloves to adult XL batting gloves within 18 months...hoping he eventually winds up sans clown feet and paws, like yours. 

Here's a rare photo of my son pitching as a HS as a freshman - on the sophomore team. He didn't pitch in varsity until the end of his senior year (played the corners his 3 years in varsity). I don't think he was much more than 5'10" in the photo, but those are some serious feet... The second photo is his senior year, he's 6'4" and no longer looks like the letter "L"- being a late bloomer worked out for him, but he's far from fast.

Outstanding!  Thank you for sharing and yes, mine is a younger freshman now.  I can see what you mean about the feet and that sure looks familiar.  Your son matured into a nice, strong young man!

My teenage knucklehead#2 was worried that weight gain would slow him down as he plays WR. I told him being stronger makes you faster and do not assume added weight is bulk. He thought I was being stupider than usual when I told him this and then he looked up all the college and pro wide receivers he wants to emulate (6'-6'2" and ~200-210 lbs) and now he is working to develop explosive speed through strength. He is not afraid of 200 now. I told him you should focus on speed goals and not weight, if you hit a 4.4 to 4.5s 40yd time, the weight will take care of yourself...that lead to another colorful disagreement. 

Tom House is a strong proponent of the belief that for every inch, or 10 pounds, that an athlete adds during a growth spurt it can take up to 2 months for the brain/body connection to catch up.  Feeling slow, lack of coordination may be due to the brain's ability to understand where the body now is in space than a core change in athleticism.

This seems to be  pattern that played out with my 3 sons

My son is 6'2". He said he felt sluggish at 200 by the end of fall ball. He wasn't hitting 6.5 anymore for his sixty time. It may have been psychological. But he didn't feel as quick. He started the season at 195. He was 190 by the end. The rest of the way he focused on being as strong as he could at 190-195.

Most kids don't need to worry about weight slowing them down, in fact often more muscle mass can make them faster.

Sure if a kid is 5'9, 190 more weight will likely slow them down but a 150 pound kid shouldn't worry about adding 20-30 pounds making them slower, there are plenty fast 190-200 players in mlb (if it is good weight and they are not super short).

That's a fact. Mine went through a crazy growth spurt and ended up at 6'3" but only 155lbs soaking wet and could still Pitch, hit and field but running looked like he was in molasses. Now from April last year to now, he is up to 188lbs (very lean) and was shocked during the fall when his travel coach kept giving him the steal sign and stand up doubles became triples. The obvious happened: the added muscle upped his fastball and his power at the plate but the difference in his speed was what jumped out to me and my wife after all these years of watching him. At least he gets to have the speed and power for his Senior year.

Unless they are an offensive lineman, there are very few humans who can squat 450+ pounds and are “slow”.   Strength is very much a part of being fast

My kid who is a Sophomore in college is 6’2” 215 pounds.  He is much faster now than he was when he showed up for his first practice as a 188 pound freshman