Your child loves their sport. But lately, they're rubbing their shoulder after training, wincing during a serve or saying, “My shoulder is a bit sore.”
If they play cricket, tee-ball, baseball, softball, tennis, netball, basketball or water polo, repeated overhead movement can place considerable demands on a growing body.
As a parent, it can be hard to know whether they need rest, a change in training or an assessment. The aim isn't to stop them playing unnecessarily; it's to understand the problem and make a sensible plan.
This guide explains why shoulder pain can develop and how physiotherapy for youth athletes can help your child work towards a comfortable return to sport.
Why shoulder pain happens in young athletes
The shoulder allows us to reach, rotate, throw and produce power. In children and teenagers, the bones and growth plates are still developing, while strength, coordination and sporting technique are changing too.
Repetitive overhead movements — from cricket bowling to tennis serving and water polo throwing — can sometimes exceed what the shoulder is ready to tolerate, especially when training load increases quickly.
Sometimes shoulder pain is a signal that the demands of training have increased faster than the body has adapted.
Not every shoulder problem is caused by overuse; falls, collisions and other injuries need their own assessment.
Five common contributing factors
Too much, too soon
More sessions, more throws or a busy competition period can increase load before the shoulder has adapted.
Strength and control
The shoulder blade, trunk and hips all contribute to throwing. A tailored program may help where strength or control needs developing.
Growth and development
Growth spurts may temporarily change coordination and how certain movements feel.
Sport-specific technique
How your child serves, bowls or throws may affect the demands placed on their shoulder. Technique should be considered in context, not blamed automatically.
Recovery time
Multiple sports, consecutive training days and limited downtime can make load harder to manage.
For parents: Pain isn't evidence that your child is weak or doing something wrong. It's a reason to listen, review their workload and seek guidance when needed.
When is it more than ordinary soreness?
Mild muscle soreness after unfamiliar activity can occur. But pain around the shoulder — particularly pain linked to throwing or serving — shouldn't be dismissed as “just growing pains.”
Consider an assessment if your child has:
- Pain that persists, returns repeatedly or is getting worse
- Pain that changes their throwing or serving action
- Difficulty lifting the arm overhead or reduced range of motion
- Noticeable weakness or loss of control
- Pain during everyday activity, at night or at rest
Seek prompt medical assessment after significant trauma, with deformity, marked weakness, fever, or severe or rapidly worsening pain.
An early assessment can help distinguish a manageable training-load issue from something that needs a different approach, including a possible growth-plate injury.
How physiotherapy can help a young thrower
At Adaptive Physiotherapy & Massage in Booragoon, our approach combines assessment, movement coaching and progressive rehabilitation. Our sports physiotherapy service can help athletes and families make informed decisions about pain and return to play.
Understand the shoulder and sporting load
We consider symptoms, strength, shoulder-blade control, mobility, training history and relevant sporting movements. Assessment guides the plan rather than assuming one cause.
Manage pain and movement
Advice, suitable exercise and, where appropriate, hands-on treatment may help with symptoms and comfortable movement. For general muscular discomfort, age-appropriate massage for kids and teens is a separate supportive option, not a replacement for assessing persistent shoulder pain.
Build strength and control
Exercises may target the rotator cuff, shoulder blade, trunk and hips, progressing according to the athlete's age, symptoms and demands.
Review technique and workload
We can discuss a sensible approach to throwing volume, training changes, warm-ups and communication with coaches where appropriate.
Progress back towards sport
Return to throwing or serving should be gradual, with the right progression for the individual. Our sports rehabilitation program reflects this emphasis on building capacity for sport.
Especially for tennis families: If serving or overhead shots are the main issue, our tennis physiotherapy service focuses on the demands of the game as well as the shoulder itself.
Practical steps parents can take
During the training week
- Take repeated shoulder complaints seriously
- Keep track of sessions, competitions and throwing volume
- Avoid sudden jumps in training load
- Make room for sleep and recovery
Before returning to full intensity
- Use an age-appropriate warm-up
- Build strength progressively
- Modify movements that provoke pain
- Get persistent or worsening symptoms assessed
Rest needs differ with age, sport and total load. There isn't one timetable that suits every young athlete, and pushing through shoulder pain isn't a reliable way to build resilience.
Why Adaptive takes a rehab-to-performance approach
For a young athlete, sport is often a big part of their confidence, friendships and weekly routine. We want to understand their goals, not just the sore area.
Our approach at the Booragoon clinic is to connect physiotherapy with individualised strength and rehabilitation when appropriate. That may include involving parents and, with permission, coaches so everyone understands how training can be adjusted and progressed.
It is our way of bridging the gap from rehabilitation to performance: helping young people build the capacity for the sport they enjoy, without promising an injury-free outcome.
The takeaway: listen early, plan well
Shoulder pain doesn't always mean a long break from sport. But persistent pain deserves attention, particularly while children are growing.
If your child is uncomfortable throwing, serving or lifting their arm overhead, a physiotherapy assessment can help clarify what is happening and what the next steps should be.
Help your young athlete move forward with confidence.
Talk to our team about shoulder pain, training load and an individualised pathway back towards the sport they love.
General information only; not a diagnosis or substitute for individual medical advice. Treatment and return-to-sport decisions depend on assessment.