The date of birth and its influence on elite Spanish handball. The Relative Age Effect
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v51.99738Keywords:
relative age, handball, sport, maturation, sport developmentAbstract
The classification of athletes based on date of birth generates, in the world of sport, inequalities regarding the number of learning opportunities. This research aims to know how the effect of relative age influences the main Spanish handball leagues. The objective of this study was to know the influence of this effect and determine to what extent the sex and nationality of the players can affect it. To carry out this analysis, the dates of birth, sex and nationality of the 1,141 male and female players from the two main Spanish leagues for the years 2018 and 2021 were analyzed. After classifying them by quarter of birth (n Tri1 = 309 [27, 1%], n Tri2 = 319 [28.0%], n Tri3 = 266 [23.3%], n Tri4 = 247 [21.6%]) and assuming an equitable distribution, descriptive statistics and frequencies were calculated. The chi-square X² test was carried out checking whether or not the date of birth was an advantage when belonging to a team. The results showed no significant differences in either league (p = 0.078 in the men's league and p = 0.129 in the women's league). In this way, it was demonstrated how the effect of relative age affects the same way regardless of sex. On the other hand, regarding nationality, the results showed how the differences were more notable in the case of foreign players, reaching significant differences (p = 0.048). Therefore, despite not finding significant differences in any of the leagues, the differences observed in the total sample, as well as in some of the subgroups analyzed, promote more research and awareness about this effect.
Key words: Learning, Performance, Birth trimester, Growth, Sport development
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