The Relative Age Effect in Male and Female Brazilian Elite Volleyball Athletes of Varied Competitive Levels

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Volleyball is a popular sport in Brazil, and the relative age effect (RAE) is known to occur within it; but less is known of how RAE relates to elite Brazilian volleyball players’ age, sex, and competitive levels. We aimed to investigate RAE prevalence with data from two seasons of play among players in the Superliga A (2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons), and Superliga B (2021 and 2022 seasons) made available from the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV), the club’s official website, or direct consultation with the CBV. After removing duplicate data, we grouped these 1,063 athletes by their dates of birth, sex, and competition level (Superliga A or B). We divided players’ birth dates into quarters (Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September and Q4: October-December) and into semesters, and we performed chi-square (χ ²) tests to investigate RAE prevalence according to the players’ sex and competitive level. RAE was prevalent overall (χ ² = 33.198; p < .001), among males (χ ² = 24.48; p < .001) and females (χ ² = 11.23; p < .011). Regarding competition level, RAE was evident among males in both Superliga A (χ ² = 14.581; p = 0.002), and B (χ ² = 13.985; p = 0.003), and among females in Superliga B (χ ² = 9.204; p = 0.027), but not Superliga A (χ ² = 4.012; p = 0.26). Thus, the RAE phenomenon operated differently for male and female Brazilian volleyball players according to their competitive level. We discuss the implications of these findings.

Related collections

Most cited references 23

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Biological maturation of youth athletes: assessment and implications.

Robert M. Malina, Alan Rogol, Sean Cumming … (2015)

The search for talent is pervasive in youth sports. Selection/exclusion in many sports follows a maturity-related gradient largely during the interval of puberty and growth spurt. As such, there is emphasis on methods for assessing maturation. Commonly used methods for assessing status (skeletal age, secondary sex characteristics) and estimating timing (ages at peak height velocity (PHV) and menarche) in youth athletes and two relatively recent anthropometric (non-invasive) methods (status-percentage of predicted near adult height attained at observation, timing-predicted maturity offset/age at PHV) are described and evaluated. The latter methods need further validation with athletes. Currently available data on the maturity status and timing of youth athletes are subsequently summarised. Selection for sport and potential maturity-related correlates are then discussed in the context of talent development and associated models. Talent development from novice to elite is superimposed on a constantly changing base-the processes of physical growth, biological maturation and behavioural development, which occur simultaneously and interact with each other. The processes which are highly individualised also interact with the demands of a sport per se and with involved adults (coaches, trainers, administrators, parents/guardians).