These Girls Don’t Find Height (or Lack of It) a Disadvantage

It never really occured to Tammy Tavares of Our Lady of Peace that she was shorter than the average girls’ basketball player.

Why would it? She had played basketball since the fourth grade, and her height had never interfered with her game.

“When you’re so used to it, you fashion your game after it but don’t let it get in the way,” Tavares said.

At 5 feet 1, Tavares is one of the county’s leading scorers, averaging 19.1 points a game for No. 8 OLP.

“She’s one of the quickest guards in the county,” Coach Yvonne Sanchez said. “She runs down a lot of lose balls and runs down opponents pretty well.”

And Tavares is not alone. There are a number of girls’ guards shorter than 5-4 around the county, making significant contributions.

What they lack in height they make up for in quickness, hard work and savvy.

“Shorter players work that much harder on the game,” Sanchez said, “and around the county you see that. Especially today, when there are 6-8 women players.”

Desiree Weimann, a 5-3 1/2 junior point guard at No. 2 Santana, is “one of the better players in the county,” said her coach, Wade Vickery.

“You would expect situations where (her height) could be a problem, but she’s so quick, which definitely makes up for it,” Vickery said.

Last year, Weimann averaged five points a game. Vickery said he hoped she would double that this season, and Weimann did better than that--she’s ninth in the county, averaging 18.1.

“She went beyond my expectations,” said Vickery. “She improved tremendously.”

Some shorter players are catalysts for effective offenses, which is the case for Jeanette Doan, a 5-0 point guard for No. 10 Oceanside, and Rachel Velasco, No. 5 Mt. Carmel’s 5-3 point guard.

Oceanside Coach Jim Stant said Doan runs the offense. “She has real quick hands and great court vision,” he said.

And Mt. Carmel’s Velasco keeps her opponents guessing.

“She’s extremely quick,” Mt. Carmel Coach Peggy Brose said. “She trys to harass the other team.”

Velasco averages about five points but scored 16 in Mt. Carmel’s victory over No. 3 Poway.

Short players can find success beyond high school, but not without development.

Kathy Marpe, the University of San Diego women’s coach, said shorter players must have a specialty.

“They need something they do really well,” Marpe said. “They need to be a deadly outside shooter, extremely quick or a very good ball-handler.”

The average height of a college guard is 5-8 or 5-9, she said. But in the West Coast Conference, Marpe pointed out, San Francisco has a 5-3 guard, Alice Solis, who is averaging 13.9 points a game.

Marpe said Solis is a good three-point shooter . . . and very quick.

The things a short player has to be.