April Estelle of Renton, Wash., asks: Does size or height have any real importance in how successful a soccer player is? My son, who loves soccer and is very talented, is small for his age. His coach recently admitted that he had recommended our son for a select team but told the coach how small Evan was. Evan didn’t even get the chance to try out. It is frustrating that the common mentality in our society is that bigger is better. Mike Woitalla: A coach is a fool if he neglects to look at a soccer player because the player is ôsmall.ö Someone that clueless should not be involved in youth soccer. Based on your description, the coach in question would have rejected Diego Maradona — perhaps the best player in the history of the game. A major problem with coaches of youth select teams is their inclination to pick big players who may be able to win games based on strength. This attitude isn’t good for the long-term health of the U.S. game, because it leaves behind smaller players who could very well be more talented. But the notion of picking a team based on size statistics is absurd simply because size in soccer doesnÆt correlate to ability. Some players, such as U.S. national team striker Joe-Max Moore, were small as children but became average size players (5-foot-9 in MooreÆs case). Others were small as children and went on to great careers even though they didnÆt grow to be very tall — eg: Cobi Jones (5-7), Tab Ramos (5-7), Richie Williams (5-5), Mauricio Cienfuegos (5-6). Size can become a negative factor with field players if they become too tall. Most soccer players are under 6-foot and itÆs rare to see players over 6-2 — probably because agility begins to suffer. Your son should keep enjoying soccer — if he is talented, more sophisticated coaches are sure to notice — and hope he doesnÆt get too tall. (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Ask Our Editorsö at the top of the home page.”)