I think there needs clarification on what a "late bloomer" is. It is NOT a kid who was not a strong athlete all along and then turns into one his Jr year out of nowhere. A late bloomer is a kid that hits puberty late. So how it applies here is a kid that has been a star athlete from little up through middle school. Then say in 8th grade other kids have hit puberty and are now 5'8, 135 lbs. But this kid who has been a star is still 5'2 , 100 lbs. now it becomes challenging for this kid with the size difference until his puberty growth hits. This kid's growth spurt then kicks in around 10th grade and he is 5'11, 170 lbs as a Jr. He reemerges as a star player once the puberty growth stages even out. That is a late bloomer example.
