Do all sports favor the big kids?

[Anonymous]

If being bigger or taller helps you be better at the sport, then, yes, size will matter 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The answer regarding size is not the same for girls and boys. While certain sports favor smaller or larger athletes, girls sports has what I would call a larger grace scale in terms of acceptable span of sizes because on the balance far fewer girls play organized athletics. I’m talking team sports here. DD was able to play through HS despite relatively small stature because she had strong ball skills and the team needed more players to fill out the roster. She was not a starter but got a decent amount of playing time. DS on the other hand is on the smaller side but is an outstanding natural athlete. He’s had a much tougher road because coaches barely give him a second look at tryouts. He’s finally growing and hoping that will help him with club opportunities. FWIW the size issue really started to come into play for DS around 13u.

Your answer has more to do with the practical realities of girls sports at a HS level. My guess is if your DD tried out for a true top club team she would likely face the same problems as any short player…the coaches would have enough good tall girls to choose and would likely select one of those with the thinking they could make them a better player over a short girl who has better technical skills but the coach can’t make her taller.

[Anonymous]

Runners are not usually heavy, although being tall probably helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Runners are not usually heavy, although being tall probably helps.

The elite African marathoners are short..only like 5’6”…maybe because you want to be as lite as possible it stunts growth…also, possible their legs are as long as someone inches taller but much smaller upper body.

[Anonymous]

going to law school in 2026 is not the flex you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe super early on, but once they get older, no. Soccer seems like a weird example to me. Most of the good soccer players I know at the high school level are average size, strong, and agile.

Agree completely. Very rare to find an above average height kid in soccer in high school on top teams. If there is one, they are likely a top recruit because you typically don’t get the agility and coordination needed with height on top soccer teams.

[Anonymous]

Crew. I think this is the perfect example of height with athletic build trumping all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe super early on, but once they get older, no. Soccer seems like a weird example to me. Most of the good soccer players I know at the high school level are average size, strong, and agile.

Agree completely. Very rare to find an above average height kid in soccer in high school on top teams. If there is one, they are likely a top recruit because you typically don’t get the agility and coordination needed with height on top soccer teams.

Remember, there are a fair number of top soccer players who play for club teams that don’t allow them to play on their HS teams. Basketball, baseball and other top club teams shut down their seasons specifically so kids can play for their HS teams.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:So only team sport is baseball.

As the father of a small baseball player, I'll say it is coach dependent. If you have some meathead infantry dad coaching, the will overlook your son. If you have an intelligent analytical dad who recognizes that your 5 ft 7, 135 pound junior stole twice the bases anyone lese did, and can legit switch hit, his value will be recognized.

Sadly too many men are just too stupid to focus on skill and results over size.

Woodson had a 6 ft4 left handed first basemen maybe 8 years ago who couldn't catch a volleyball if it was soft tossed to him by his grandpa. But he looked the part, so there he was put.

And every single that year was a double or a triple.

This perspective is also annoying. Big kids grow frequently. My 10yo daughter is going to be taller than your son pretty soon. She does really well and has the best shot on her team, but some days it's just not there, it's like I have to start over from scratch retraining those growing limbs.

Some coaches/sports feel very strongly kids should have mastered the skills if they haven't by the time they are five they aren't ever going to swimming is especially annoying. It's sad you can look at the club so many girls aren't going to pass five ft. But there they are in the Olympic training USA Swimming. The coaches just milking their parents bank accounts.

Then in basketball we have all these gungho parents with the shortest daughters, coaching everyone. Isn't that the weirdest thing, like why do tall kids have to put up with all that mediocre coaching from short kids parents. Give the ball to little Susie.

I'm all for encouraging athletes in short stature. I just don't think this perspective that a kid needs to be skilled early on is setting smaller players up for success. Sounds like some of these coaches may have done you a favor.

Someone forgot to mention cricket. Now there is a money sport for short players. I don't 🪏 it, but I encourage those who do.

Sorry, but I'd take a 5 ft 7 inch son any day of the week over some beasty 6ft 2 girl as a daughter. Your poor daughter.

Oh, you want to pick on girls do ya. No wonder you got kicked out of your club. Sawed off ego and all.

I bet you never had to special order pants tough stuff. Upset because there are somethings that just aren't your thing.

Aged out, silly. Not kicked out. And he played in college. Currently in his last year of law school while your daughter is trying to find size 46 pantsuits. LOL.

For some bottom of the barrel D3 school likely? I am sure he would love to find a 6’2” volleyball player so his own kid doesn’t suffer the same fate as him.

And I am sure he and his friends would relentlessly mock her. Literally no man wants to date a linebacker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe super early on, but once they get older, no. Soccer seems like a weird example to me. Most of the good soccer players I know at the high school level are average size, strong, and agile.

Agree completely. Very rare to find an above average height kid in soccer in high school on top teams. If there is one, they are likely a top recruit because you typically don’t get the agility and coordination needed with height on top soccer teams.

For soccer in the US, it's usually that, taller athletic kids go into other sports. Who wants to be a goalie when they can play basketball or be a kicker on a football team, pitcher in baseball. etc Soccer is one of those sports where there are places on the team for very tall kids, but they all kind of suck it it's not revered like in Europe or South America. You can be target man have all the short kids kick the ball at your head or a goalie, dive in the mud while short kids kick at you with their cleats. It's just not very much fun. Compare that with being QB. I don't think anyone would sign up to be QB have everyone in league want to sack you, unless you got to be the star of the team. IMO that is a big reason USA Soccer is so limited when it comes to the world cup. Like they go up against the Dutch or English, and you just have the left over from other sports, no big forwards, weak goalies, slow wings. They have some really good skills players, just missing some things that make a well rounded soccer team. The people in USA Soccer seem to want to keep it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Crew. I think this is the perfect example of height with athletic build trumping all.

That’s true but there is space for smaller kids too (cox, bow pair)

[Anonymous]

Soccer in the USA is so UMC kids don't get slapped around by the colored kids in basketball and football.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Soccer in the USA is so UMC kids don't get slapped around by the colored kids in basketball and football.

The thing about the contact laws in soccer 50/50 balls is they just don't work well when contact isn't shoulder to shoulder. When there is a difference in height the taller player isn't allowed to drop their shoulders so it's more like elbow to head or shoulders to ribs. So soccer players tend towards average height more than you would expect. You don't want to be the odd one out on a soccer squad and every challenge is like that. Except in the US they run slightly shorter than other places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Runners are not usually heavy, although being tall probably helps.

Long legs. So track athletes at the elite level have longer legs longer legs relative to their body height compared to the general population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soccer in the USA is so UMC kids don't get slapped around by the colored kids in basketball and football.

The thing about the contact laws in soccer 50/50 balls is they just don't work well when contact isn't shoulder to shoulder. When there is a difference in height the taller player isn't allowed to drop their shoulders so it's more like elbow to head or shoulders to ribs. So soccer players tend towards average height more than you would expect. You don't want to be the odd one out on a soccer squad and every challenge is like that. Except in the US they run slightly shorter than other places.

No. Look at the European leagues. 75-85% of the field player roster is above average in height. Look at the NCAA women’s soccer roster - the same.

Contract in soccer is about getting hands or an arm on the other player. A taller play can shield the ball from a short player, has longer/arms, lower the shoulder and lean on the smaller player. This really pays off after the 70 minute mark.