MoPro
TrainersEye · The Growing Athlete · Ages 10–16
Growing Athlete F
Trainer's Eye
Phase 2 · Settle the sore spot · Session F

Load it.
Do not rest it.
That is the difference.

The muscle above a sore growth plate has to get stronger for the bone point to settle. Rest alone makes it come back.

  • Fsession
  • P2Settle
  • 12:00on the clock
  • — donecompleted

Quadriceps and knee pain

Pain below the kneecap responds to progressive quadriceps loading, not to rest. The muscle has to get stronger for the bone point to settle.

Calf strength and heel pain

Heel pain in young athletes responds to calf strengthening and to changing how much running and jumping happens each week.

You can keep playing

In most cases the answer is less, not none. Reducing training volume for a few weeks beats a full season off.

Three couplets · two rounds · twelve minutes · available all season

A

Quads

Tempo squat + Spanish squat hold
A1

Tempo squat

60 s · slow reps

Three seconds down, one second up — count only the repetitions you controlled the whole way.

Easier to a chair  ·  Harder four seconds down

R1R2—
A2

Spanish squat hold

4 × 20 s · ×2

Towel round your knees against a fixed point; sit back and hold with your shins upright.

Easier less bend  ·  Harder deeper

R1R2
B

Calves

Heel raises + eccentric lowers
B1

Heel raises

60 s · slow reps

Full range up onto the toes, pause one second, lower slowly — this is the heel-pain exercise.

Easier hold a support  ·  Harder one leg

R1R2—
B2

Eccentric heel lowers

12/side · ×2

Up on two feet, down on one over three seconds — the slow part is the point.

Easier both feet down  ·  Harder off a step

R1R2
C

Hips

Side-lying abduction + step-up
C1

Side-lying hip abduction

60 s · slow reps

Top leg slightly behind the body line, toes forward; lift from the hip, not the waist.

Easier bend the knee  ·  Harder 2-s hold

R1R2—
C2

Step-ups

10/side · ×2

Whole foot on the step; drive through the heel, stand tall, lower slowly.

Easier lower step  ·  Harder hold a bag

R1R2

The clock

Round 1settle in — 70%, perfect tracking
0:00A1 → A2
2:00B1 → B2
4:00C1 → C2
Round 2own it — beat Round 1 by quality
6:00A1 → A2
8:00B1 → B2
10:00C1 → C2

Each couplet: 60 s scored → the loading set → 10 s to move on. Done at 12:00.

How to run it

  1. Growth-plate pain sits on a bone point: below the kneecap, on the back of the heel, on the hip bone. It is common, it settles, and it does not mean damage.
  2. You do not have to stop sport. You have to change how much, for a while.
  3. Isometric holds first — pressing without moving is the calmest way to load a sore growth plate.
  4. If the sore spot is getting worse week by week rather than better, an adult needs to take you to a clinician.

Tick it off

MovementRound 1Round 2Best
A1Tempo squatslow reps in 60 s —
A2Spanish squat hold4 × 20 s
B1Heel raisesslow reps in 60 s —
B2Eccentric heel lowers12/side
C1Side-lying hip abductionslow reps in 60 s —
C2Step-ups10/side
Session time
StreakDay —
Client / Patient
Coach / Clinician signature
Date
TE-12-GROWINGAT-F