Re: Does weightlifting stunt growth in teenagers?

Here is a copy of an answer that seems to be quite good, and responds to your 
concerns:


http://www.testosterone.net/html/body_85gof.html



Q: My son is 16 years old, but he started to lift weights for strength and
  endurance at age 13. He's been playing football since the fourth grade.
  Does weightlifting at an early age stunt height growth? This has become
  a concern because college players sometimes need to be between 6'4"
  and 6'8" tall. No one that I've talked to could give me a straight answer.

  A: Congratulations to your son on starting a weight-training program at
  so young an age! Not only will proper weight training not stunt your son's
  growth, it will allow him to grow up with stronger muscles and bones,
  along with a healthy lifestyle. It certainly will benefit his football game,
  too, not to mention any other sport that he tries.

  The latest weight-training studies are being done on children as young
  as five with only positive effects. The most important factors are proper
  instruction and supervision (ideally from certified strength and
  conditioning coaches), and the mental/emotional maturity to handle
  weights and weight room guidelines. Almost any negative literature on
  youth strength training is based more on the possibility of growth plate
  fractures due to shear force, rather than compressive force. The solution
  is to limit maximal overhead lifts during the adolescent growth spurt,
  thus preventing the remote possibility of spinal fractures.

  Check out the National Strength and Conditioning Association website
  for their position statement on youth resistance training.