Does Wrestling Hurt A Young Boy's Growth?

Athletics are supposed to help a young boy grow by developing strength, endurance and mental attributes associated with hard work and good sportsmanship. However, some of the unique aspects of wrestling competition cause parents to worry if wrestling will actually stunt a child's growth. Some of these concerns are unrealistic, based on fitness misconceptions. Others are based in proven facts.

Bone Growth

Wrestling training includes a variety of resistance training activities intended to build strength in the young athletes. For reasons that are unclear to the fitness community, there is a persistent misconception that resistance training can stunt bone development in children. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics changed their policy in 2001 to reflect the fact that this misconception has no basis in scientific fact, or supporting evidence in clinical trials. Wrestling will not hurt a young boy's bone development.

Cutting Weight

One area where wrestling training has been shown to interfere with growth and development, and hurt a wrestler's adult success, is cutting weight. The weight class structure of wrestling encourages athletes to compete below their natural body weight. According to a Vanderbilt University paper, 75 percent of wrestlers have used extreme weight loss methods in order to make weight for competition. However, cutting weight should never be part of a young boy's wrestling program. You should leave any program that encourages a young wrestler to cut weight, and report the coach to an appropriate authority.

Impact and Injury

All sports, wrestling included, run the risk of harming a young athlete's growth through injury related to the sport. A sufficiently severe injury, or damage to a growth plate or nervous system, can realistically cause this kind of problem. This is a chance young wrestlers take, and that even the most pro-wrestling parents worry about. However, wrestling ranks #11 on the list of most dangerous high school sports, according to a report by ABC News. Sports rated as more dangerous include football, cheerleading, gymnastics and even cross-country.

Emotional Growth

According to John Graybeal in "The Art of Empowering Children," sports participation can either help or hurt a young boy's emotional growth. On one hand, learning the benefits of hard work and personal discipline can help. On the other, placing a disproportionate importance on winning and physical ability can stunt growth. In the case of emotional growth, it will be the individual team culture and coach that most determine whether wrestling is a good choice for your young boy.