I am a freshman in high school at a military academy. I am planning on playing varsity lacrosse for my school this year. There is only one minor setback for me playing a varsity sport as a freshman. I am very small compared to most of the players that I will be playing with and against. Standing at "5,5" and weighing about 120 pounds, I am by no means a large kid. This kind of worries me about being out there with some of the huge kids.

About 3 or 4 years ago when kids really started growing, I have became somewhat tentative during game time situations. I have not been a very confident player when going up against kids substantially bigger. I have sat in my room and thought to myself am I really ready for the task of playing a high school varsity sport? I have been told by coaches in the past that I have real potential if I could get down the mental part of my game. What I have tried to put through my head is that my size does not matter as long as I have good stick work, passing, shooting, dodging, conditioning, hustle, and other qualities that are essential in the game of lacrosse.

To be honest, no matter how much I tell myself "size does not matter" I will still need to be able to prove it. This winter DMA has put together an indoor lacrosse team to prep us for the spring season. This will be a real chance for me to show myself that I truly have learned that size is only a number, and that my skills are what my game thrives on. I have always had supportive friends and family, and I think that with the help of them I will be able to reach my full potential as an athlete this spring.

Even though I was not blessed with being tall as of now, that does not mean I have to be the puny kid on the field. One thing that I am trying to get myself to do is work out more. You don't need to be tall to hit the gym and try to put on some muscle. In lacrosse having a strong upper body can help with shot speed, passing, and hitting. While leg strength can help your speed, dodging, and ground balls. I feel that both of these assets would be very helpful to add to my arsenal.

To sum this article up to all of you reading this, I am pretty much saying that you should not let size hold you back in sports. Darren Sproles is a "5'6" starting running back in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints where he is a key part of their offense. Also, Nate Robinson is a "5'8" guard in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and has won the NBA slam dunk competition three times despite his height. These are just two of the many examples of athletes who have not let size hold them back. Like Darren and Nate, I don't intend on letting my size hold back my game any longer.