Does Height Matter in Sports?

Height of an athlete is one of the key factors for players.Through this blog I would like to address this ever long question.

Usain Bolt,Dirk Nowiztki,Kobe Bryant are one of the most famous athletes.The common thing amoung them is that they are also one of the tallest players in the world.This brings us to a very famous question i.e Does height factor give advantage in sports?

My answer is Yes.It definitely gives a lot of advantage in sports like.In fact there is no sport in which height does give an advantage.

In cricket it helps the fast bowlers to get an extra bit bounce.
In basketball and volleyball it helps in reaching the fast at greater height
In racket sports like badminton and tennis it increases the reach on the court
In athletics it helps taking longer strides and hence increases speed

From the above argument it seems that the sports is very much biased towards the taller players.May be to some extent but not completely.For example in same above sports like in athletics taller athletes are slower to start than their counterparts.In short races like 100m,200, and 400m,this becomes an important factor.Also for longer race like 5000 m or above height hardly plays any role. Similarly in Volleyball good height is only useful for smashing and blocking.But the most important position of libero or the middle blocker demands shorter height.In badminton and tennis the taller players face problems in lifting the steep smashes and net vollies respectively.

It is also a common belief in sports that the taller players are more injury prone and have shorter carriers.Of course there are exceptions like Usain Bolt but generally speaking the above holds true.Back injuries are the most common injuries amoung the taller athletes.

Finally if I had to answer this question whether height matters in sports,then I would say yes but does height only matter in sports,then may be not.Talent is the main ingredient required,height can be an added advantage.There is no secret in the fact that the greatest cricketer the world has ever produced Sachin Tendulkar was just 165 cm tall but his achievements are unmatched.

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