10/28/2026
Your daughter can grow quickly while her sport keeps asking her to land, stop and change direction at speed. Her athletic development should keep pace.
A 2021 study followed 172 high school female athletes across pubertal stages. During a 45-degree cutting task, the group showed a more upright posture and less hip and knee bend on average as they matured. The study measured movement, not who later sustained an ACL injury. The authors also cautioned that some differences could fall within normal between-session measurement error.
For AIS, the takeaway is practical: assess the athlete in front of us. We look at how she approaches, slows down, controls her position and moves out of a cut. Then we coach the missing skill, build strength where she needs it and progress speed and reaction when she is ready. As she grows, we reassess.
Three good questions for any athlete’s coach:
1. What do you see when she lands and changes direction?
2. What strength and control are you building?
3. When will you reassess as she grows?
If your daughter is growing and you want a clear starting point, start with an AIS athlete evaluation.
Source: Chia L, et al. “When puberty strikes: Longitudinal changes in cutting kinematics in 172 high-school female athletes.” *Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport* (2021).
