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Relative age effects

An inevitable consequence of elite sport?

Relative Alterseffekte

Im Leistungssport unvermeidbar?

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Abstract

The process of annual age-grouping, applied most commonly in school and sport, has been shown to produce a developmental climate that provides advantages to some while disadvantaging others. This inequality has a number of important short- and long-term consequences known as relative age effects (RAEs). This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the origins of RAEs, their effects on skill acquisition and athlete development as well as possible solutions to this problem. The work done to date reinforces the conclusion that RAEs are remarkably complex and are underpinned by a number of social and procedural factors that make resolution of this inequality difficult. Throughout the review, we propose areas where further work is needed to improve our understanding of this phenomenon.

Zusammenfassung

Die jährliche altersbezogene Gruppierung, so wie sie in Schule und Sport üblich ist, erzeugt ein Entwicklungsklima, das manche bevorzugt, andere benachteiligt. Diese Ungleichheit hat eine Reihe relevanter kurz- und langfristiger Konsequenzen zur Folge, die zusammengefasst werden mit dem Begriff relative Alterseffekte („relative age effects“, RAE). Wir geben eine Übersicht zum aktuellen Wissensstand über die Entstehung von RAE sowie zu ihren Effekten auf den Erwerb sportlicher Fähigkeiten und die Entwicklung des einzelnen Sportlers. Zusammengefasst werden auch mögliche Lösungen für die Probleme, die sich aus RAE ergeben. Die bisherigen Arbeiten unterstützen unser Fazit, dass RAE außergewöhnlich komplex sind und dass sie von einer Reihe gesellschaftlicher und prozeduraler Faktoren, die eine Aufhebung dieser Ungleichbehandlung erschweren, noch verstärkt werden. An verschiedenen Stellen unserer Übersicht zeigen wir Bereiche auf, in denen für ein umfassenderes Verständnis des Phänomens RAE weitere Forschung notwendig ist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lifespan Health & Performance Laboratory, School of Kinesiology & Health Science, York University, 4700 Keele St., M3J 1P3, Toronto, Ontario, Kanada

    Joseph Baker

  2. Institut für Sportwissenschaft, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Deutschland

    Jörg Schorer

  3. Carnegie Faculty of Sport & Education, Fairfax Hall, Headingley Campus, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, Großbritannien

    Stephen Cobley

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  1. Joseph Baker
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  2. Jörg Schorer
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  3. Stephen Cobley
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Correspondence to Joseph Baker.

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Baker, J., Schorer, J. & Cobley, S. Relative age effects. Sportwiss 40, 26–30 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-009-0095-2

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