Hi,
My brother is 14 and 5'11 with an untamable passion for basketball. He is worried that he won't get any taller and I keep telling him he will but the truth is I'm not really sure. At 14, do young boys still groe? And when do they typically stop growing?

Every child is different. Growth rates are normally determined by the height of the parents and grandparents. Those are the genes he shares, so that will give him a more accurate reading of how tall he could be.

As far as the when, only nature will be able to determine that for sure. I've seen kids hit a growth spurt in sophomore year, I've seen others hit one after graduating (rarer, but still does happen).

I was 5'11 and 1/2 in 5th grade. I thought I was going to be 7 feet tall. Had my basketball career all mapped out.

Still waiting to grow, because I haven't grown since.

My best friend on the other hand grew to 6'5 and his brother 6'6 by the time they were seniors in high school. I went from being the tallest in our pack to the shortest. Genetics will determine it.

But his basketball future will not be determined by his height, but by his skill and how he continues to develop his athleticism. He should continue to work on his game, focus on ball handling, shooting, passing, and defense. Those are the things he can control. His height is completely out of his control, and not worth any time he spends worrying about it.

Just some thoughts.

Brian Sass

Brian,
I feel more knowledgeable after your answer. I really appreciate it. I have a few tall people in my family (we are Iraqi) and his dad is about the same height as he is (he may be an inch taller than his dad). I'm always stressing to him that height doesn't nearly matter as much as skill and talent but I guess him wanting to be a little taller is not entirely without merit. Thanks again for your specific and detailed reply I appreciate it so very much! Thank you and happy Friday to you.

Your brother has a few more growth sprouts ahead of him. 18 is usually the timeline for full growth. However, you will just have to wait and see but I wouldn't worry, I think he has a few more inches to grow. Also as mentioned previously, skill is that you should be working on with your brother. Have fun, you are way too young to be worrying about your brother's future. Most of all enjoy each other every day. Its great how you are so close to your brother.