I played soccer U8 - U17. From grade6 to grade 10 I had massive growing pains in my knees on and off. Couldn't walk at times. In grade 9 I started going to the gym (it was owned by Nathan and Paul Briggs' dad). I could do leg curl and extn but not machine leg press, 45 deg leg press, hack squat, squat, lunge. The only one I could do was the leg press where you lie on your back and press straight up.
The trainer's philosophy back then (1987) was that I had to build some muscle before I could do the free weights. By late the next year, the growing pains had finished. I went in a C&J comp at school and made 55kg @ 55kg, having never lifted an oly bar before.