Reaching something off of the top shelf or being able to see over a crowd are both situations in which having a height advantage would be beneficial. In sports, size seems to be even more of an advantage than in daily life.

Height and weight are magnified even more when it comes to sports. Certain sports, like volleyball, traditionally require height to be successful. Senior Alexa Spokas recognizes this as an essential piece to the game.

“Size is necessary to play volleyball because it helps you in being able to reach over the net easier, whether it’s to block or hit,” Spokas said.

In many sports, whether it be basketball or volleyball, being tall can be very beneficial. However, in other sports, like football, weighing more than the opponent can give the athlete the upper hand in the game. Junior Jared Strohman recognizes these necessities, but he also realizes that someone cannot be too big on the field.

“It could be beneficial but you need to also have [agility],” Strohman said. “You can be as big as you want, but in the situation I’m in, I have to have quickness of the ball. There is a fine line on the football field between  how big someone can be and whether or not they excel at their position.”

To some, size has no impact on how well they perform. Junior Cameron Norris believes in the idea that it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

“Size doesn’t matter if someone who is smaller than you is a lot stronger than you,” Norris said. “Just because you are bigger than someone else does not mean you are as strong as them.”

Some sports do not require size, and it could be unusual to be taller or bigger than everyone else. In a sport like field hockey, it could be detrimental to be a taller person. One of these athletes is sophomore Carrie Miller.

“When you’re shorter, it is a lot easier to keep form in a game without having to think about it,” Miller said. “My back usually hurts at the beginning of the season, but then I get used to it when we start playing more games. There’s not really much to do to prevent it.”

Being tall is not everything. Someone can be shorter or smaller than others, and still succeed in sports. Although this is true, those extra few inches or pounds can be the difference in whether the athlete will succeed or fail.