Tall girl Cammy in sports
Growing up as a tall girl named Cammy, sports were always a bit of a paradox. On one hand, my height made me an asset; on the other, it was like being a giraffe trying to navigate a world built for koalas. You can imagine the locker room shenanigans when I’d walk in, head and shoulders above everyone else, practically scraping the ceiling tiles. I used to joke that my head was in a different time zone than my feet.
Being tall in sports has its perks, though. Volleyball? Perfect. Basketball? I was basically a walking, talking rebound. But there were challenges, too. In middle school, I joined the soccer team. Now, soccer and I were like oil and water—I had the legs, sure, but coordination? Let’s just say the ball and I had a mutual understanding to stay as far away from each other as possible. I’d run down the field like a baby deer, all legs and no idea where I was going. My teammates learned quickly to direct the ball anywhere but in my general vicinity.
In high school, I finally found my groove with basketball. Suddenly, being the tallest girl in the room was a superpower. I could block shots with ease, and my layups were a thing of beauty. My height wasn’t just a quirk—it was an advantage. But with great power comes great responsibility, or so I was told. My coach used to joke that I was like a human umbrella on the court, sheltering the shorter players from the "storm" of opponents.
But here’s the funny thing about being tall in sports: you’re always expected to be good at every sport. People would constantly ask me, “Cammy, why aren’t you on the swim team?” And I’d laugh and reply, “Because I don’t want to cause a tidal wave when I dive in!” The truth is, not every tall girl is a born athlete, but I had to give it a go because, well, when you’re 6'1" in high school, it’s either sports or modeling, and let’s just say my runway walk was more of a runway trip.
Now, as an adult, I look back on those days with a smile. Sports taught me a lot about embracing my height, quirks and all. It wasn’t always easy being the tallest girl in the room, but it gave me a perspective (literally and figuratively) that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And if nothing else, I’ll always be the one everyone asks to reach the top shelf—and that’s a pretty tall order!
