i started doin squats with weights recently. i think they help my kicking quite a but. but im worried about what people say about getting shorter. im not very tall and i still want to grow. so are their claims just myth or are they scientifically proven .....thanks

Did a Google search, found this:

"Running and jumping alone puts a force more than 5 times a person's weight on one legs. If a man is 200 lbs, he'd have to be squatting more than 1,000 lbs in order to be putting more stress on his legs than regular running or jumping would do. If running or jumping doesn't stunt your growth, neither will doing squats."

Wikipedia article on weight training (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_training) addresses this also:

"Orthopedic specialists used to recommend that children avoid weight training because the growth plates on their bones might be at risk, but recent studies have shown that this concern is unfounded. The very rare reports of growth plate fractures in children who trained with weights occurred as a result of inadequate supervision, improper form or excess weight. "Growth plate injuries have not occurred in any youth strength training study that followed established training guidelines."[16] The National Strength and Conditioning Association also confirms that "a properly designed and supervised resistance training program is safe for children."

Sounds like form is key, as always.

You should check out the Strengthtening forum. Lots of info on there about the issues you raise

Squatting won't stunt your growth, provided you do it right. Get someone who knows what they're doing to teach you the technique, and spot you for a few sessions, and keep the weight light for a few weeks while you learn the technique. Slowly increase the weight over time and before you know it you'll be squatting the gargantuam amounts we in the strengthening forum are accustomed to