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My 10 year old LOVES all sports - basketball, soccer, baseball, running, etc... He is very coordinated, quick, and agile and has high-endurance. He does quite well (plays on travel teams, high scorer in basketball, best runner in school, etc.) but he is soooo thin and small-boned (though long-legged). He looks like he doesn't have an ounce of body fat on his body. At a recent check-up, he was in the 5% in weight for his age (and 60% in height). The doctor was not worried because he has always been in this range (even as a baby) and is in good health (rarely ill and has lots of energy). Also, my DH and I are also naturally thin/small-boned. I'm 5'6 and 125 after 3 kids. My skinny 6'1 hubby has never really been able to put on weight/muscle mass. But we are both fit and athletic. I'd say we are all the classic "ectomorph" body types.
But I'm worried my son may soon have some issues. First, all of his teammates now seem much bigger than he is and, this year, it seems the gap is increasing. Since he is so light, he can get knocked around easily on the field. Also, he wants to start tackle football with his friends! Some of his friends weigh 40 pounds more than he does (though I know there are weight classes in football). He is quick though. And I think he will have a late growth spurt like his parents did.
Also, he prefers to eat healthy, low fat foods (like lettuce!) and loves to play high calorie burning sports (like soccer, basketball and running).
I guess I'm just looking for any advice on how to proceed. Should we start thinking about some sort of (kid-safe) strength training? Calorie/muscle building foods like protein shakes? Since he's athletic and loves all sports, should we steer him into specific sports that are better for his thin-build? And which sports would be best?
He's only 10 so I wouldn't worry too much about putting on muscle mass yet. When he hits puberty that will come. You haven't mentioned that he is getting overy-injured or anything so I really wouldn't worry too much at this point. My DS played football (tackle, not flag) with several boys who were small and small boned and it was fine. I would just continue to make sure he is eating a well balanced diet (great that he likes lettuce but I would make sure he is getting adequate protein, fruits and carbs to keep up with his high activity level and apparently inherited high metabolism). Most likely he will always be on the thin side - he enjoys basketball - great, also what about cross country, tennis etc. Those sports have less opportunity for collision with larger teammates if that's what your concern is.....
(on an unrelated note --- my DS is hoping the Cubs go all the way this year....)
I wouldnt worry about it too much since he's onl 10 years old. He sounds a lot like me when I was a kid - I was always skinnier than my friends but loved loved loved all sports. I even used to watch the re-runs of Jack Lalane and workout with him as a kid.
Just make sure he gets enough good food to eat and of course the occasional sweet/burger that all kids love and when he gets to high school in 3-4 years he'll put on some more weight. If he wants to play tackle football, let him. Dont tell him right now that he cant do anything because YOU are afraid for him. He'll be fine.
Right, right, and right. As for feeding him right, that means eating his fill, but not overeating, and it means eating his fill of nutritious real food, along with the occasional treat, as DaBeez suggested. Stay away from protein shakes and the like for a young child.
One question I do have is about football. You said something about weight classes. I'm wondering whether this is Pop Warner or another recreation league. I know they don't have weight classes on school teams, at least not middle school on up. I would suggest that it would be a good idea for him to focus any interest in tackle football on an organized league, so there would be adult supervision to make sure the kids stay within their limits. That would be the best idea for young kids in general playing that rough a sport, and that much more so for a kid on the small side.
As for what sports are best, I think Maciesmom had some good suggestions to keep in mind, but I also agree with DaBeez that at your son's age you don't want to limit his choices. If he enjoys many sports, let him try them. Over time, he'll figure out for himself which sports he does best, and so, which ones he wants to continue with at a more advanced level because success leads him to find them satisfying.
When DS played football (similar to a Pop Warner league, I would guess), kids of a certain weight were limited in their positions. At the beginning of each season there would be a weigh-in for all the teams to determine who would be "patched", "double patched" or no-patch. Kids who were not patched (lightest) could play any postition; single patched kids were limited and double patch (heaviest) were limited even more. DS was (and is) a smaller kid (but not small boned - just your average short, slenderish kid). In Jr. high and HS, these limits of course don't occur - but by then most of the smaller kids (DS included!) have figured out that being tackled by a 5'10" 160lb kid is just not that much fun. I was really hesitant about football but I am glad we allowed it. Great lessons for him and I learned about football too. Make sure you have a good coach who is a strong believer in conditioning. Sometimes I could hardly watch the practices and conditioning camps etc during the preseason because they were so intense but I will say our team rarely had injuries even though we probably had some of the smallest boys in the league. Let him try and see if he likes it. We had a QB for several years who was tiny but very astute and fast. You just don't know until you try.
BTW - in all his years of sports, DS got hurt more playing basketball and baseball than he ever got hurt in football! I think he sprained his thumb in football; required stitches after being "cleated" in baseball, and got a concussion in basketball...just sayin'.....
Last edited by maciesmom; 01-25-2009 at 06:38 PM..
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At ten years old he probably shouldn't be doing any real strength training. As a general rule of thumb, when his voice deepens and he starts getting facial/body hair he's ready to start strength training with weights, otherwise he's at risk of injuring long bone growth plates and can be setting the stage for serious joint problems later on. Push-ups, pull-ups, calisthenics, "invisible chair" and other body-weight routines are great strengthening exercises for older boys who are not quite young men. From your description I surmise that he may be a motivated, relatively fearless guy. You may try giving him a copy of "The Navy SEAL Workout." He'll get some great ideas from it and if he's competitive and likes to push himself he'll get a lot of benefit from the exercises therein.
Also, have you thought about wrestling as a sport for him?
Thanks everyone for all the great advice! I'm now leaning toward starting him in a flag football program for his first season though he is fighting me on this. He wants to do tackle and be a running back. Ogre, I don't know if it's "Pop Warner," but I've heard it's a good program run by former NFL players.
DaBeez, I'll admit that I may be guilty of a little overprotection. He's great at soccer and I tell him he would be a good kicker. We do live in a big football town and the kids seem huge. My town has quite a few retired college/Bears players (e.g. Walter Payton lived here) and maybe that's why. DH isn't really into football either as he grew up in Canada and Europe and is more of a soccer and hockey guy.
Maciesmom, I also think watching my little guy being tackled by the big guys will be hard to watch! But I agree he may get just as many injuries in basketball. My DH played college basketball and had multiple achilles injuries.
Jimboburnsy, "fearless" and "highly-competitive" is a perfect description for my son. That's what I'm worried about! (I know, I need to get over it.) Great suggestion on "The Navy Seal Workout." I'll check it out as he really likes to push himself in gym class with calisthenics. We never considered wrestling. I believe our town has a good program for this though. He might be good at it as he seems to want to spend his weekends wrestling his friends (like most 10 year olds!).
So many sports, so little time! Thanks again for the advice.... Keep it coming.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCUBS1
Thanks everyone for all the great advice! I'm now leaning toward starting him in a flag football program for his first season though he is fighting me on this. He wants to do tackle and be a running back. Ogre, I don't know if it's "Pop Warner," but I've heard it's a good program run by former NFL players.
DaBeez, I'll admit that I may be guilty of a little overprotection. He's great at soccer and I tell him he would be a good kicker. We do live in a big football town and the kids seem huge. My town has quite a few retired college/Bears players (e.g. Walter Payton lived here) and maybe that's why. DH isn't really into football either as he grew up in Canada and Europe and is more of a soccer and hockey guy.
Maciesmom, I also think watching my little guy being tackled by the big guys will be hard to watch! But I agree he may get just as many injuries in basketball. My DH played college basketball and had multiple achilles injuries.
Jimboburnsy, "fearless" and "highly-competitive" is a perfect description for my son. That's what I'm worried about! (I know, I need to get over it.) Great suggestion on "The Navy Seal Workout." I'll check it out as he really likes to push himself in gym class with calisthenics. We never considered wrestling. I believe our town has a good program for this though. He might be good at it as he seems to want to spend his weekends wrestling his friends (like most 10 year olds!).
So many sports, so little time! Thanks again for the advice.... Keep it coming.
Wrestling came to mind for a number of reasons. For one, he'll always be competing in a weight class. A good wrestler is a tough, independent, competitive guy with native athleticism and a high strength-to-weight ratio (like the wirey kid who can do 30 pull-ups). Football was always my game, but there are a lot of great athletes who just don't quite fit the football mold. Be careful, scrappy guys tend to get totally hooked on wrestling.
Good thoughts by Jimbo. I'll second the advice to have your son hold off on strength training with weights until adolescence. I can understand not wanting to see your smallish kid get involved in something as rough as tackle football when there will be bigger kids playing. Wouldn't want to try to push you in any direction on what to do with your own son, but if you have an inclination to consider letting him play tackle, it sounds as if the league has good adult supervision, and if there are former pro players involved then obviously they know the game well and what capacities someone needs to play it. If you are still considering letting your son play tackle, you might talk to parents whose kids have played in the same league, and get their thoughts on your concerns, based on their own experiences. Whatever sport(s) your son is involved with, best of luck to him and you. Great to hear about a kid who's physically active instead of getting out of shape playing video games during all of his free time.
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We do live in a big football town and the kids seem huge. My town has quite a few retired college/Bears players (e.g. Walter Payton lived here) and maybe that's why. DH isn't really into football either as he grew up in Canada and Europe and is more of a soccer and hockey guy. 
