Happy Birthday? Relative Age Benefits and Decrements on the Rocky Road

Abstract

(1) Background: There is abundant literature in talent development investigating the relative age effect in talent systems. There is also growing recognition of the reversal of relative age advantage, a phenomenon that sees significantly higher numbers of earlier born players leaving talent systems before the elite level. However, there has been little investigation of the mechanisms that underpin relative age, or advantage reversal. This paper aimed to investigate (a) the lived experience of relative age in talent development (TD) systems, (b) compare the experience of early and late born players, and (c) explore mechanisms influencing individual experiences. (2) Methods: interviews were conducted with a cohort of near elite and elite rugby union players. Data were subsequently analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and findings considered in light of eventual career status. (3) Results: challenge was an ever-present feature of all players journeys, especially at the point of transition to senior rugby. Psycho-behavioural factors seemed to be a primary mediator of the response to challenge. (4) Conclusions: a rethink of approach to the relative age effect is warranted, whilst further investigations of mechanisms are necessary. Relative age appears to be a population-level effect, driven by challenge dynamics.

Early Success is not a Prerequisite for Success at the Adult Age in Spanish Sprinters

“…However, they found lower values from U15 to U17 (31.8% and 36.8% for male and female athletes, respectively) in contrast to 45.8% and 62.1% from U16 to U18 found in Spanish sprinters, although we should consider the different cut-off points for the age grades between UK and Spain. These results could be explained by the potential advantage of early biological maturation ( Malina, 2014 ) and the relative age effect ( Brazo-Sayavera et al, 2017 ; Kearney et al, 2018 ), as we have discussed above, understanding that these athletes are more likely to be successful early and not later ( McCarthy and Collins, 2014 ; McCarthy et al, 2022 ).…”

Strategy in talent systems: Top-down and bottom-up approaches

“…Yet the idea that athletes who are likely to “make it” can be identified from an early age has been roundly criticized (Abbott et al, 2005 ; Baker et al, 2018 ) and the current evidence base augments these arguments (Johnston and Baker, 2020 ) suggesting that selection is often more performance identification than talent identification (Baker et al, 2018 ). This is supported by the potential disadvantage conferred by early advantage, where those who are more likely to be selected early, are also more likely to be deselected later (McCarthy and Collins, 2014 ; McCarthy et al, 2022 ). At the macro level, this has led to critique of the “standard model of TD,” characterized by an emphasis on those identified by relative high performance and each vertical progression leading to large numbers of athletes being deselected (Bailey and Collins, 2013 ).…”

Special Issue “Talent Identification and Development in Youth Sports”

“…For instance, Kelly and colleagues [8] showed relatively older athletes (i.e., those born in the first three months of the year) were up to ten times more likely to be selected into the Basketball England Talent Pathway compared to relatively younger athletes (i.e., those born in the last three months of the selection year); however, findings were more significant in males compared to females. Moreover, McCarthy and colleagues [9] explained the possible mechanisms of relative age effects in rugby union, proposing how challenge was an ever-present feature of all players journeys, especially at the point of transition to senior rugby, whilst psycho-behavioural factors seemed to be a primary mediator of the response to challenge. In addition, Romann and colleagues [10] suggested relative age effects led to inefficient talent selection and an accompanying waste of money when exploring male professional football players' market values.…”