Quick Dip: Why Do Swimmers Grow and Develop at Different Times?

A short read for the car journey

Category: Growing Up & Swimming: Growing Bodies  | Read time: Under 2 minutes

Have you noticed that swimmers your age can be different heights and sizes? You might train together and have birthdays close together, but your bodies will not grow at exactly the same time.

Being the same age does not mean being at the same stage of growing up.

Puberty, when your body begins changing towards adulthood, starts at different ages. Some swimmers have a growth spurt earlier than their friends. This is a period when they grow taller more quickly.

The way you grow is partly influenced by traits passed down through your family. Enough food and sleep also help support healthy growth.

These differences can affect swimming. A swimmer who grows earlier may gain size and strength sooner. But race times do not tell the whole story of someone’s development. Technique, practice and experience matter too.

Keep working on the skills your coach gives you. A stronger push-off, a better turn or holding your stroke together through a length are useful improvements, whatever your height.

Avoid judging your future swimming by who is fastest today. Growing later does not guarantee you will overtake someone, just as growing earlier does not guarantee lasting success.

If you are worried about how you are growing, talk to a parent or carer. They can help you get advice.

Ask your coach: Which improvements in my swimming should I look for apart from my times?

Created by Basingstoke Bluefins Coaching Team