"Can late developers really catch up?"
- James Donnelly
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
If your child is smaller than their teammates, hasn’t hit their growth spurt yet, or constantly gets compared to kids who look two years older physically…this question probably sits heavy on your mind.
And honestly, this is probably the thing I’m best known for helping players overcome.
Because it’s tough watching a technically gifted player struggle simply because their body hasn’t caught up yet.
And thousands of players around the world miss out or get released because of this exact issue.
So let’s break it down properly, and I’ll also share real feedback from parents and players who were in this exact situation and still pushed through.
1. Yes, late developers absolutely can catch up
And not just catch up…they often overtake the early developers once their physical growth kicks in.
Here’s why:
Players who grow later often have no choice but to double down on their technical development, and they also become far more aware of how important their physicality is.
Early developers, on the other hand, rarely face that challenge.
Because things come more easily early on, many believe they’re further ahead than they actually are.
But here’s what usually happens...
The late developers who’ve been quietly putting in the extra work on their strength, speed, and stability (while continuing to sharpen their technical game), eventually catch up…and then overtake the early developers.
2. Some of the strongest transformations I’ve seen were from late developers
Over the years I’ve seen this happen over and over again, and some of the biggest transformations inside our programme have come from late developers.
I’ve had parents tell me things like:
“He didn’t make it last year, but this year he got picked after following the programme.”
This is exactly what happens when a later developer finally gets their body prepared.
“He’s one of the smallest players, but he’s now fitter, stronger and more confident.”
Size stops being the main factor when strength, movement and speed improve.
“He was invited to train with the older performance group.”
That’s a perfect example of a late developer catching up, and then some.
“I got picked for the national team.”
Not because they were the biggest, but because they became the most athletic version of themselves.
These aren’t one offs.
This is a pattern.
Late developers respond incredibly well to structured training because they finally get the support their body has been missing.
3. Strength and conditioning closes the physical gap faster than growth ever could
The biggest mistake parents make is waiting for a growth spurt.
Growth alone doesn’t guarantee strength, speed, confidence or injury resilience.
That stuff doesn’t magically appear with height.
It comes from training.
And the good news?
Late developing players adapt very quickly once they start S&C, because it supports the growth their body is going through, rather than waiting for it to happen on its own.
I’ve seen countless young players go from:
- Hesitant to confident
- Overlooked to selected
- Physically behind to physically ready
…all in a matter of months.
4. Confidence changes everything for late developers
A smaller player who feels weak will play smaller.
A smaller player who feels strong will play big.
Once a child feels balanced, strong on their feet, explosive, conditioned and hard to knock off the ball...
Their whole game changes.
Their mindset changes.
Their confidence skyrockets.
A late developer who feels physically capable becomes a different player entirely.
5. So can late developers catch up?
Yes.
Your child’s timeline is their timeline, and if they build the right qualities now, they'll hit their physical growth with all the foundations already in place.
That’s when everything clicks.
James
Matchfit Football
P.S. When you're ready, here's 3 ways I can help:
If your child is a late developer and you want to help them close that physical gap as quickly as possible, this is the programme you need.
Removes all the guesswork surrounding what to feed a youth footballer for both football performance and general health.
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