Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the birth-date distribution of youth athletes of a high-level Brazilian soccer club with the general population of the same age group. In a cross-sectional study, the birth date of 341 youth athletes (under 10-20) was compared with a reference population (live births that occurred in Sao Paulo state in the same age group; n = 5,480,868). The subjects were divided into quarters of birth: 1st = January-March; 2nd = April-June; 3rd = July-September; 4th = October-December. The chi-square test (χ2) was used to compare the expected (reference population) and observed (athletes) distributions. It was detected a significant difference between the expected distribution and observed distribution (χ2= 29.53; p<0.0001), with a higher percentage of athletes born in the 1st quarter (47.5%) and a lower percentage in the 4th quarter (8.8%). The present results confirm the occurrence of the relative age effect (RAE) during the player selection process in a top-level Brazilian soccer club. The occurrence of this phenomenon during the selection and development of young athletes needs to be taken into account and should be analyzed carefully in order to minimize the loss of potential youth soccer talent. Further studies are required to identify the determinants of RAE and to establish preventive strategies that ensure a more efficient selection process of young soccer players.
Highlights
During the main stages of human psychobiological development, i.e., childhood and adolescence, individuals are universally divided into chronological age groups based on a specific cut-off date, usually the year of birth, in order to guarantee equal opportunities of development[1]
Analyzing the data obtained for the U-11 to U-18 categories of Athletic Club Bilbao, the results are closely similar to those observed in the present study: 1st quarter: 46.6%; 2nd quarter: 28.6%; 3rd quarter: 14.8%, and 4th quarter: 10.0%
The findings reported by Mujika et al.[1] suggest a high incidence of relative age effect (RAE) in youth soccer players
Summary
During the main stages of human psychobiological development, i.e., childhood and adolescence, individuals are universally divided into chronological age groups based on a specific cut-off date, usually the year of birth, in order to guarantee equal opportunities of development[1]. This difference is maximized when grouping is performed within a period of 24 months, with the difference being almost 2 years[1] In theory, this fact may favor the selection of athletes born in the first quarter since they are generally taller and heavier than those born in the last quarter of the year[5,6]. This fact may favor the selection of athletes born in the first quarter since they are generally taller and heavier than those born in the last quarter of the year[5,6] Within this context, the current model of youth athlete grouping seems to contribute to the occurrence of high interindividual variability in terms of biological growth and development[7]
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