Youth coaches need to be aware of the Relative Age Effect and its impact on talent development

Relative Age Effect (RAE) is a phenomenon where children born in the first quarter are identified as more talented than those born in the last quarter.

A 2015 report showed that the RAE is quite visible among children aged between 9–14. This is important for coaches to understand as these tiny opportunities compound over time. .

“If you were born in January, you have almost 12 months’ growth ahead of your classmates born late in the year, so whether you were born on December 27th or January 3rd could have a huge effect on your life.”

Children who are taller, faster, and stronger are seen as more talented.

These children soon catch the eyes of Talent Centres or Academies, where they receive even more opportunities. Their peers are often overlooked and don’t receive the same chance.

These additional development sessions compound over time.

It gets worse as National Team coaches tend to scout Academies and Talent Centres as these have the strongest, biggest and fastest players. As such, the underdeveloped, but talented players are overlooked.

＂this advantage can begin when the child is as young as three years old.＂
Rossing (2015)

Understanding the impact of RAE is the first step towards countering it.

This requires coaches who know the theory working with grassroots players. These coaches can then be cognisant of development opportunities, individual plans and selection processes to ensure that players are kept at the forefront of the program.

There is no quick fix for the relative age effect, but awareness is the first step.

This post was created with Typeshare