Size of players relative to performance

[cuzmail]

It's D1. I glanced through other schools too and most had several girls 5'4" and under. Size is an attribute coaches look at, but it's far from the determining factor. I just don't see any truth to the notion that colleges won't look at smaller girls and especially that taller girls have it handed to them wothout earning it.

I don't think I mentioned that taller girls would have it handed to them.
I have been told by what I consider a credible recruiting source that some D1s (one big name in particular) wont consider certain positions until they meet a minimum height. Of course your mileage may vary!

 

[Scorekeeper]

…I have been told by what I consider a credible recruiting source that some D1s (one big name in particular) wont consider certain positions until they meet a minimum height. Of course your mileage may vary!

To be fair, many programs where there are a lot of players trying to get in, having a minimum height requirement only makes sense if there is a belief in the program leadership that 1) bigger is probably better, and 2) there will be so many really good tall players available, they won’t have to waste time looking at a bunch that wouldn’t make the program cut anyway. IOW, its an easy way to reduce the work, much like having a minimum velocity for a pitcher makes more sense than trying to give lots of pitcher with lower velocities an opportunity.

I won’t go so far as to say those people are lazy, but I will say as long as every player at every level isn’t given equal opportunity to perform, its definite that there will be players dropped who are better than players kept.

 

[wichita]

My daughters are both pitchers and averaged size. I remember their last year of rec ball when the parents of
the taller girls thought their daughters should be pitchers. My oldest daughter started the game and struck
just about everyone out. Then the tallest girl on the team pitched and walked just about everyone. They my
younger daughter, at the time about a foot shorter than the tall girl, came in and struck out the side. It was
hard to contain myself in front of the other parents.

No doubt, height is something. A taller girl will, on average, hit the ball harder, throw the ball faster, and pitch
faster. Important phrase: "On average". There are so many skills that make up a softball player besides height.
My daughters are very coordinated and for some reason can get a lot of whip on the ball. In terms of speed they
are certainly in the upper 10-20%.

Also to add to this is a lot of taller girls usually throw a lot harder than the smaller girls do so they never learn off speed or change ups then when they get to late 14 on up they get shelled because they become average, whereas smaller girls learn to hit spots and off speed and change up by necessity because they dont have the speed to blow hitters away

 

[JAD]

Another problem, the "facts' aren't factual. The heights listed on a team's published roster most often are exaggerated by a minimum of 1-2 inches. This just serves to feed/further the bias. And its not just college SB! Do you think the NFL combines have to measure and weigh the players because the players don't know themselves?

I always get a kick out of watching the NFL combines and seeing how player "REAL" height, weight and 40 yard dash times compare to their listed height, weight and 40 yard dash times in college.

 

[cuzmail]

To be fair, many programs where there are a lot of players trying to get in, having a minimum height requirement only makes sense if there is a belief in the program leadership that 1) bigger is probably better, and 2) there will be so many really good tall players available, they won’t have to waste time looking at a bunch that wouldn’t make the program cut anyway. IOW, its an easy way to reduce the work, much like having a minimum velocity for a pitcher makes more sense than trying to give lots of pitcher with lower velocities an opportunity.

I won’t go so far as to say those people are lazy, but I will say as long as every player at every level isn’t given equal opportunity to perform, its definite that there will be players dropped who are better than players kept.

Agree, but not quite sure how that could be excused away under the guise of being fair because they have a lot of applicants. However, they can do whatever they like to rule out players and fair doesn't really matter.

Now with that being said, my point was that some schools won't even look at players unless they meet certain size requirements. I didn't really put out there why they do that and I would be willing to bet that their reasons vary, but you did help to prove my point!