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Planet Field Hockey

6’7” to 5’1”. This range of heights can not be seen in many sports these days. In today’s age, sports are dominated by the athletes that have the frame to fit the sport. Gone are the times of a person like Mugsy Bogues running the floor at 5’3” with the giants of the NBA, and little known jockey Richard Hughes riding in the saddle at a sturdy 5’7”.

Sadly, today’s sports have been taken over by groups of people whose height is an advantage in their given game. The average height of basketball, football and volleyball players have been growing consistently for years. In these sports, the little man is slowly becoming obsolete.

Thanks to the sport of hockey, there is a sport where people of all sizes can play with no advantage to either side. Sure, there are advantages for both heights, but these advantages are matched by a skill that the other height possesses. For example, taller people in most cases have a longer reach than the shorter players, enabling for a longer poke and a larger span in which they can execute a flat stick tackle. This is counter-acted by the shorter players ability in most cases to have greater vision of the field ahead whilst running with the ball. Since they are closer to the ground, there is less space between the ball and their eyes, creating less of a gap they have to cover by moving their head when scanning the field above, and checking the ball.

The absence of contact is another factor that can further the equality between the two sizes. The 5’2” athlete no longer has to fear being crunched by a multitude of 6’7”, 300 pound giants. This not only creates an even playing field physically, but also psychologically. It eliminates the feeling of alienation due to ones height, athletes know they will no longer be judged on their height, an aspect of themselves they have no control over.

Finally, a game where skill, fitness and thinking make a good player, rather than ones height.

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