Does Height Affect Ability in Sports?

Besides obvious examples, such as race horse jockeys, the height of an athlete doesn’t necessarily limit anyone’s ability to participate in a particular sport. What height does impact, however, is your ability to play certain positions. For instance, almost all basketball centres are the tallest or among the tallest players on their team. In football, shorter players tend to be running backs or defensive backs. And while height doesn’t necessarily reflect your ability, because hard work and skill are the most important factors, height can influence what sports you choose and where you channel your efforts to get better.

Advantages of Height
In general, taller athletes have advantages over shorter athletes in many sports. A taller boxer with a longer reach can make contact with his punches while keeping his head out of his opponent’s reach. Taller swimmers can cover more distance and outreach their shorter opponents Taller basketball players can more easily block shots and out-rebound shorter players. Taller quarterbacks can see over the line of scrimmage easier than shorter passers, while taller volleyball players have an advantage at the net because they usually can strike the ball at a greater height and block shots more effectively.

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