Identifying talented track and field athletes: The impact of relative age effect on selection to the Spanish National Athletics Federation training camps

Abstract

This study examined the impact of relative age effect (RAE) on selection to the Spanish National Athletics Federation (RFEA) training camps (TC) between 2006 and 2013. Overall, 1,334 selected athletes at U15 years (cadet) and U17 years (juvenile) were compared against 27,711 licensed but unselected athletes for the same age groups. The results highlighted the influential role of the RAE on selection to national level track and field training camp opportunities. Interestingly, this effect was mediated by age and gender, where effects were stronger for both males and younger athletes (U15), with no evidence of RAE for older (U17) female athletes. These results support the "maturation-selection" hypothesis as a mechanism for RAE. Particularly given the long-term goals of RFEA (e.g., production of successful senior elite athletes), these results highlight the need to consider the impact of current selection processes on effective provision of opportunities to those athletes with most potential to succeed in the long term. A number of possible context-relevant solutions are discussed, including education and awareness raising, using holistic selection criteria and correction adjustments techniques.

Relative Age in Female Futsal Athletes: Implications on Anthropometric Profile and Starter Status

“…In addition, the findings revealed that the ERA was more pronounced as the level of competition increased 18 , which was not confirmed in another study, that identified a "reversal of the ERA" in the junior leagues to the elite in male hockey. 32 However, evidence has indicated that sport ERA is mediated by age and sex, 1,15,33 in which the occurrence of athletes born in the first months of the year in one sport is less frequent among female athletes, older athletes or both. 16,33 There are speculations about the reasons for minor ERA in female athletes that include interactions of social, cultural, maturational and biological aspects, sports start, performance, selection criteria and sports popularity.…”

“…10,16,33 Among the probable causes, the hypothesis of maturational selection is considered a fundamental mechanism. 15 However, Hancock, Adley and Côté 14 emphasize that the genesis, perpetuation and amplification of the ERA in sports are determined only by social agents (parents and technicians / teachers). They are knowledge drawn from psychological and sociological theories, based on the effects of Matthew, Pygmalion and Galatea, which, although they were tested in sport, were not applied in the context of relative age.…”

“…In this sense, research demonstrates that the ERA is significant for men and young athletes and not influential for older athletes and women. 1,15 Conflicting results on the influence of relative age on the female gender suggest complex interactions for maturational and biological differences, sport onset, selection criteria, and sporting popularity. 10,16 Although sport ERA del año, de acuerdo con sus fechas de nacimiento.…”

Excelling at youth level in competitive track and field athletics is not a prerequisite for later success

“…The Power of 10 (www.thepowerof10.info) is a publically accessible database which collates performances from youth and senior track and field competitions in the United Kingdom. Such statistics databases provide a wealth of information which can be used to study athlete development (Brazo-Sayavera, Martínez-Valencia, Müller, Andronikos, & Martindale 2017;Boccia et al, 2017; Saavedra-García, Gutierrez-Aguilar, Sa-Marques, & Fernandez-Romero, 2016). Specifically, we explored the relationship between youth and adult success by conducting a retrospective analysis of when top ranked senior athletes were first ranked in the top 20 for an age grade.…”

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“…The fact that talent takes time to emerge is evident in the literature (Simonton 1999) and many researchers have highlighted the need for equal opportunities during the development stages of the athletic career (e.g. Andronikos et al 2016, Brazo-Sayavera et al 2017.…”