Lessons in Growth & Maturation: Scammon’s Curves

First understand how kids grow before considering training effects on the youth and teenage athlete

To those loyal followers and readers, welcome back. If this is your first read, it is a good one to start with as it addresses a key, or maybe even, the key fundamental tenet of how kids grow – Scammon’s curves of growth.

I have taught this lesson on Scammon’s Curves many times in both a course called ‘Growth, Maturation and Physical Activity’ and one in ‘Pediatric Exercise Physiology’. And, I will say here, as I often do - if you are interested in children/teens and exercise/sport then you should first understand the system, and the system is growth and maturation, before you start thinking about training programs and training adaptations.