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Ellie Rocco

Professor Echols

ENG 1201

1 May 2022

What Effects Do Lifting at a Young Age Have on Development Compared to Playing Other

Contact Sports?

In recent years, a large number of young athletes have started to take weightlifting more

seriously. The game has changed, and every player needs that extra boost to become one of the

greats. Becoming stronger than the competition is one way many athletes have been able to reach

a higher level. This is considered a controversial topic because many have argued that lifting

heavy weights, resulting in added muscle mass at a young age can lead to potential spinal or

growth plate damage. However, the risks of playing a contact sport at a young age are often

ignored or considered insignificant in comparison. While improper weight lifting can have

negative side effects, the risks are no higher than those of playing contact sports. Contrary to the

assertions of some medical professionals, a weight-lifting regime is safer for young athletes than

participating in contact sports.

The 2021 National Youth Weightlifting Championships took place in mid-June in Detroit,

Michigan. Each competitor gets six lifts: three clean-and-jerk attempts and three snatch attempts.

Much like wrestling, youth weightlifting brackets are based on body weight, age, and gender to

decide who will be competing together. Women's weight brackets for ages 13-17 have 5 kg

weight brackets from 40kg (88 lbs) to 80+kg (176 lbs) (USA weightlifting). This wide range of

weight classes allows competitors to be put against fair competition. While this is the biggest

event for weightlifting on a national level, this is not the only competition available for youth
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weightlifters. The USA weightlifting website has countless sources to help young athletes

interested in competing to find competitions and proper coaching in their area. Proper coaching

is extremely important in this field, as with any sport, so USA weightlifting offers information to

help young athletes find a club, gym, or personal coach based on their needs. Competing in

weightlifting has options for everyone, allowing kids to compete at a level they feel comfortable

against the proper competition.

Fig. 1. Victoria Thornton competed in the youth nationals meet in 2016 (Thornton 1).

For young athletes looking to excel and stay healthy, building muscle is considered

essential. Having the muscle mass necessary to protect and support your body is crucial for

performance and injury prevention at any age. One injury that is drastically more common in

women than men is torn ligaments in the knee, such as the ACL. The main reason for this is that
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men usually have more muscle mass in their upper leg to support the tendons in the knee. For

example, Yale medicine experts state “A balance between your muscles and your ligaments

controls where and how your bones move… any force absorption or stability your muscles can’t

provide gets passed along to the ligaments. If those are too loose or weak, that can hurt you”

(Macmillan). The American Academy of Pediatrics mentioned in their report how adolescent

female athletes have seen a significant decrease in the number of ligament injuries when strength

training and other plyometric exercises were added to their regimen (American Academy of

Pediatrics). Building muscles to increase body stability decreases the chances of a child being

injured while playing a sport, as well as increases their overall athletic ability. Building muscle to

assist in joint stability is not exclusive to the knee. Studies show that increasing shoulder muscles

through the use of weight training can decrease the chance of severe injury to the joint and

rotator cuff (American Academy of Pediatrics).

Added muscle mass can also equate to less likelihood of injury when going in for contact

during a play. More strength means there is less injury risk when getting into hard tackles or

from ligament damage due to lack of support. Lifting at a young age and practicing movement

with lighter weights will improve a child's dexterity and make them less likely to suffer

preventable injuries from things such as tripping over their own feet. Starting young gives

children an advantage to have a strong baseline to grow on as they get older.

The largest risk of severe injury or death for athletes comes from traumatic brain injuries.

In America, sports and recreational activities make up 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries

among children (“Sports Injury Statistics”). This means over one-fifth of traumatic brain injuries

come not from car accidents, accidental falls, or attacks- but rather from games and practices.

There have been clear links made between contact football and permanent brain damage due to
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concussions, yet the NFL continues to deny all accusations (Carzoli 1). Concussions can have

permanent damage to a person's psyche, such as memory loss, personality changes, sleep

disturbances, Parkinson's disease, and smell and taste dysfunction (Carzoli 1). These are major

symptoms that could permanently alter the life of even an amateur athlete. Once someone

receives one concussion, their risk of getting another increases significantly. This means when

young athletes receive a concussion at a young age, they are at higher risk of brain injury for the

rest of their lives.

According to a study from 2019, basketball is the men's sport with the highest injury rate.

This is made up of a multitude of possible injuries, including fractures, facial injuries, deep thigh

bruises, ankle sprains, and knee injuries. In close second is football with over 116,000 injuries

annually (Missouri Orthopedics). Football injuries are more easily prevented due to padding and

other protective gear, while basketball players are much less protected. The highest injury rate

for women's sports is soccer. In women's soccer, the most common injuries include concussions,

ligament strains, tendonitis, ACL tears, and fractures. In a study on the epidemiology of women's

soccer injuries, 31 out of 85 high school female soccer players suffered an injury during the

season, which comes out to 36.5% (Puckree, Sentsomedi). This is an incredibly high injury rate

for any activity, let alone high school girls' recreational sports. Similar to basketball, soccer

players are given much less protection than other contact sports, and therefore put at higher risk

of suffering an injury. All of these sports reported higher injury rates in practices compared to

games, with soccer having more injuries in the preseason than any other time (Puckree,

sentsomedi).
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Fig. 2. A chart demonstrating injury rates in American youth sports from 2014-2016

(Watkins 1).

A major argument by influencers and educators against allowing children to lift weights

is that it could result in growth plate injuries. This is argued because people believe that there is

excess pressure on the joints when performing lifting movements, therefore adding unnecessary

stress to the growth plates. However, more recent research done by expert medical teams has

proven that this information is false. For example “One reason that healthcare providers

discouraged children from lifting weights in the past was concern that kids’ growing bones

would be damaged, Growth plate fractures have not been reported in programs designed by

experts with proper supervision” (Weight Room No Longer Off-Limits to Kids). In actuality,
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strength training has been shown to increase body composition, bone density, and blood lipid

profiles (American Academy of Pediatrics). All of these factors would play into better protecting

the growth plates, not causing them harm. Additionally, lifting movements such as deadlifts and

squats are going to result in a release of growth hormones. This would actually increase a child's

growth, rather than delay or stop it. In the same research, it was confirmed that lifting weights

has no adverse effect on linear growth or growth plates, no matter the age of the child when they

start lifting (American Academy of Pediatrics). The argument against weightlifting for children

due to possible damage to growth plates is outdated and mainly unreliable. These facts have been

disproven and data now shows that no harm will come to a child's growth due to responsible

lifting.

Mental health in teen sports, especially at a high level, is an extremely hushed topic.

Being put in such a competitive environment can destroy mental health and lead to issues

involving self-harm, eating disorders, and sometimes even suicide. In 2022, OSU football

linebacker Harry Miller announced his formal retirement from playing college football due to his

continuous struggle with depression and self-harm. He said how the threats from the fans and the

stress from handling the constant pressure of being the best have been weighing on him his

whole athletic career, even while only playing peewee (Stump). Luckily, Miller was able to

communicate his issues with those around him and decided to quit football. While Miller was

able to work on overcoming his mental illness by leaving athletics, some athletes are not so

lucky. Stanford star goalie Katie Meyer was found dead in her dorm room mere weeks ago from

self-inflicted injuries. Katie was captain of Stanford’s soccer team, an incredibly rigorous

program for both academics and athletics. Another problem in youth sports that needs more

attention is the high risk of a child developing eating disorders. In a report done by the NCAA,
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over one-third of female athletes reported having anorexic tendencies or being at increased risk

of developing an eating disorder based on their mindset (Eating Disorder and Athletes). On top

of already impossible beauty standards, the excessive use of one's body in contact sports and the

toxic environment can lead to unhealthy views of food. Even at a young age, competitive athletes

are constantly pushed to their limits and expected to do more. Win a game, then a tournament,

make a better team, get college offers. The wheel never stops turning for young competitors, and

it can become incredibly mentally draining. Every year hundreds- no, thousands- of kids and

teens are negatively mentally affected by their sport, whether that be coaches, teammates, or

parents, playing a competitive contact sport can be extremely mentally taxing.

A major concern for young weightlifters is the chance of developing permanent spinal

damage. Since bones are not fully developed until age 25, it is important for teenagers and young

adults to protect their bone growth as much as possible (Brody). Damaging the bones at a young

age would leave more of an effect because it could ruin the amount of bone that could grow in

that location following the incident. One article called it a “bone bank”, the amount of bone you

have that could grow, and you need to protect that (Brody). In a four-year study, the effects of

consistent weightlifting on spinal vertebrae were put to the test. Twelve participants, all

adolescents, had weight lifted consistently for four years to study the effects on spinal vertebrae

through various tests. They monitored for changes in different features such as LBP (lower back

pain), lumbar spondylolysis, disc herniation, and lumbar disc degeneration. Between the start and

end of the study, it was revealed that weight lifting consistently at a young age can have

irreversible damage to the spinal vertebrae of adolescents (“High Incidence Rate of Lumbar

Spinal Disease Among Child and Adolescent Weightlifting Athletes: A Prospective 4-year

Cohort Study”).
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In a similar study, it was concluded that “Weightlifting is a sport that utilizes heavy

weights to engage the muscles in the body, and consequently, predisposes athletes to LBP. Using

excessive weights and performing improper techniques puts the back into a compromising

position that may lead to injury” (Fares). Crucial information mentioned in this conclusion is

how the back position can cause harm mainly when using improper technique or too much

weight. Proper regulation and coaching when weightlifting is key to preventing any injuries and

ensuring proper safety. Any sport or activity that goes unregulated or is improperly performed

has a chance of injury.

There is an inverse relationship between the age at which weightlifting is less of a risk

than contact sports versus when weightlifting could be more of a risk than contact sports based

on the age of the athlete. When playing contact sports at a younger level, the impact of a

potential hit would be significantly less than at an older age. A young athlete can only put so

much force behind each hit, so the chances of getting damage from impact are much lower. As

you get older, the force behind each tackle or hit in a contact sport is significantly higher and

more of a risk to the athlete. The figure below from an article published by the University of

Alabama Birmingham demonstrates this relationship and how drastically the risk of sports

injuries increases as children get older (Shonesy).

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Fig. 3. Chart showing the statistics of the five most common injuries amongst youth ages

0-18 (Shonesy 1)

Every sport requires certain levels of coaching to ensure the safety of the athletes, and

weightlifting is no different. Even though false information and unproven facts were originally

spread that discouraged youth participation in weightlifting, more accurate studies have now

disproved this information. Weightlifting is now approved by the American Academy of

Pediatrics after they originally stated it was not safe for children. Studies have shown that lifting

will not stop growth or damage bone density. While some injuries can be accidental and are

always a risk, the risk of getting injured while powerlifting with supervision is lower than the

risk of getting injured while playing contact sports under supervision. Not only do contact sports

for youth and adolescents have a risk of injury from participation, but they also have extremely
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high risks of burnout, overuse, and mental health struggles. While contact sports should continue

to be encouraged and participated in, weightlifters should not be shamed when they are no worse

off than other athletes.

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Works Cited

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https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Weightlifting/Resources/Qualifying-Totals/2022-National

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Brody, Jane E. “Reducing Injury Risk in Youth Sports.” The New York Times, 14 May 2018,

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Accessed 6 March 2022.

Carzoli, Ky. “7 Long-Term Effects of Concussions, TBI, & Head Injury.” Denver Upper

Cervical Chiropractic,

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2022.

Faigenbaum, AD. “Strength training for children and adolescents.” PubMed,

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MACMILLAN, CARRIE. “Are ACL Tears Really More Common in Women?” Yale Medicine,

14 February 2020, https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/sports-injuries-gender. Accessed

25 March 2022.
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