High jump has no average in the way the 100m does. The bar sits where an official put it, and it usually goes up about two inches at a time, so every result in a meet is one of maybe eight possible numbers. A 14-year-old boy clearing 5'0" (1.52m) is a solid school-team jumper. A girl at 4'6" (1.37m) sits in the same spot. This page covers ages 14 and 15 in both units and explains why the heights bunch up the way they do. The full ladder from youth to the world record is in average high jump height by age.
USATF youth meets raise the bar in 5cm steps, just under two inches. High school meets usually go up two inches early and one inch near the end. Nobody clears 4'11" because the bar was never at 4'11". A jumper capable of 4'11" gets recorded at 4'10", and the average you read online inherits that rounding. Pole vault has the same rounding problem, visible in average pole vault height for high school.
The USATF Youth Outdoor Performance Standard for the 13-14 division is 1.51m (4'11.5") for boys and 1.40m (4'7") for girls. Regional Junior Olympic meets open the bar 20cm below that, at 1.31m and 1.20m. Those are real published figures, not estimates, and they make a useful line for where a competitive 14-year-old sits.
Most 14-year-olds have enough vertical to clear a foot higher than they do. The height is lost in the curve of the approach and in the position of the hips at takeoff. Strength work at this age moves the number less than three weeks of J-curve drills usually will. The horizontal jump at the same age is broken out in the 14-year-old long jump ranges.
The part of a 14-year-old's high jump that decides the height happens in the last four steps of the curve, and it is invisible from the infield. Film one attempt from the side of the pit, upload it, and AI grades approach angle, takeoff distance from the bar, and clearance shape.
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USATF standards and meet records are exact published figures. School-team ranges are medians from published results and shift with how the bar progression was set.
| Level | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| New to the event (13-14) | 3'10" - 4'4" (1.17 - 1.32m) | 3'6" - 4'0" (1.07 - 1.22m) |
| Age 14, school team | 4'6" - 5'0" (1.37 - 1.52m) | 4'0" - 4'6" (1.22 - 1.37m) |
| USATF 13-14 performance standard | 4'11.5" (1.51m) | 4'7" (1.40m) |
| Age 14, scoring at varsity meets | 5'2" - 5'8" (1.57 - 1.73m) | 4'8" - 5'0" (1.42 - 1.52m) |
| Age 15, school team | 5'0" - 5'6" (1.52 - 1.68m) | 4'4" - 4'10" (1.32 - 1.47m) |
| USATF 15-16 performance standard | 5'4.25" (1.63m) | 4'8.25" (1.43m) |
| Age 15, scoring at varsity meets | 5'8" - 6'0" (1.73 - 1.83m) | 5'0" - 5'4" (1.52 - 1.63m) |
| National class for the age (JO podium) | 6'0" - 6'4" (1.83 - 1.93m) | 5'4" - 5'7" (1.63 - 1.70m) |
| USATF JO 13-14 meet record | 6'4.25" (1.94m) | 5'7.25" (1.71m) |
Common questions athletes and coaches ask about this topic.
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