Knee Pain in Youth Basketball: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Описание: This episode breaks down knee pain in youth basketball players and explains why it is so common, especially during growth and periods of heavy training. It clarifies the difference between normal soreness, overload-related pain, and true injury, and explains how jumping volume, strength training choices, recovery habits, and growth spurts all interact. The episode provides practical decision-making rules to help players, parents, and coaches manage knee pain intelligently without panic, overtraining, or ignoring warning signs.

Key takeaways

Not all knee pain is the same — soreness, overload pain, and injury require different responses
Growth spurts make knees more sensitive because bones grow faster than muscles and tendons
Jumping and landing can expose the knees to 4–8× bodyweight, especially on single-leg landings
Most youth knee pain is a load-management problem, not a structural injury
Pain that fades within 24–48 hours is usually a sign of overload, not damage
Training through worsening pain often leads to longer-term problems
Strength training should support basketball, not reduce knee capacity for practice
Recovery habits (sleep, nutrition, hydration) matter far more than ice or quick fixes
Quality of training beats quantity, especially during growth
Availability is the most important ability for long-term basketball development


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