I play lacrosse. In Freshman year, I wasn’t starting, nor was I getting any play time at all. I was disappointed in myself, and that I couldn’t be good enough to start. But, I knew what my coach was thinking. I wasn’t tall. I wasn’t strong. That was when I was 14. I’m almost 16, and I’m a Sophomore now, starting for the same team that I was on last year. Even though I’m still small, and not very strong, my coach knows that I play to my very best potential.

Small people can be something. And sports prove it. Trindon Holliday, for example, is someone that I am starting to look up to. He is a return specialist, and wide receiver, who has played for multiple teams in the 8 years he’s played in the NFL. He is only 5’5. Back in junior high, Trindon’s mother, and coaches didn’t let him play football, because she was afraid he would get injured. When he entered high school, they finally let him play. And he proved himself as one of the fastest, and best return specialists that has played for the college LSU. David Masterton, Trindon’s high school coach, says, “He ran the second 40 in 4.27. He’s one of those little freaks of nature.”

Tall Disadvantages are key

It is true that being tall is good for sports. You can cover more ground faster, and you can also reach further. For football as an example, being tall can make it easy for catching/passing a ball, like Levine Toilolo (who is 6’8), as you can see over the competitor.
But, tall isn’t always the best. Small is the way to go when it comes to sports, because you can run very fast, and can potentially have more stamina/endurance, and be more flexible as well. In David and Goliath, David was dubbed as “small”, and “insulted” Goliath as he came at him. David was the underdog, as he was much smaller than Goliath. The same works today. Small people in sports are the “underdog” because they are the ones that change the game.

Speed and Agility is the way to go

Do small people really have better speed and agility than taller people? Yes they do. According to Andrea Cespedes, a certified personal trainer, “When you are tall, you have more weight to move as you run -- slowing you down.” This means that the taller you are, the harder it is to run fast. Also, the shorter your stride speed is, the better your endurance is, and the better your pace is. A perfect stride, around 180, is what wins most running tournaments, according to Andrea Cespedes. But, what does speed and agility really mean to small athletes? To some people, it might be a disadvantage being small. But, having the speed and agility that other people might not have is like having a secret superpower, and you can use that at anytime.

Does small and injury prone go together?

Do small people injure themselves more than tall people?
It seems no. According to Davis, having a high stride can reduce stress, and prevent injuries from occurring. It seems, from the studies of tall athletes vs small athletes that tall people are usually prone to all kinds of injury. In David & Goliath, Goliath is very tall. He is prone to injuries, like bad eyesight/vision and the serious medical condition acromegaly, which produces too much growth hormone. But, does he win against the smaller, not strong David? No he does not. It seems smaller people are picking up what taller people are leaving. FOX Sports looked through the rosters , and found the smallest player that plays every position. And are they small. At running back, you would expect a tall player, strong and fast. But, at this position, you have super star Darren Sproles, who is the shortest active player in the NFL, at 5’6. He’s fast, and he can make open room on the field. Who else makes open room on their terrain? Muggsy Bogues. Muggsy Bogues is currently the shortest player in the NBA, and probably in all sports, at 5’3. He creates open space with his speed, and, even with this height disadvantage, he played in the league for over 10 years.

Small Success

When I played lacrosse for the first time as a 9 year old, I knew I was set. I played it all throughout pre-teenage years, and now, as a sophomore, I can see how much I’ve improved over the years. But, for the first time, I’ve noticed that I was small when I was 9, 10, 11, 12. I was the smallest one on the team every year I played. But, they didn’t know my superpower. The speed and agility that they didn’t have. In freshman year, I was scared. I was scared that the people I was going to play against were better, strong, and bigger than me. Maybe they would embarrass me, by stealing the ball from me, and knocking me down, for the whole stadium or field to see. But, that didn’t happen. I was an offensive player last year. I never played defense. This year, in a change, I made a stand. I started playing defender, and have not regretted any of it. Every game I play in, I honor it for the small player I am. I may be the smallest defender, the smallest lacrosse player, or the smallest student or sophomore, but I’m successful because of it.