Purpose： In age-restricted youth sport, the over-selection of athletes born in the first quarter of the year and under-selection of athletes born in the last quarter of the year has been called the relative age effe...Purpose： In age-restricted youth sport, the over-selection of athletes born in the first quarter of the year and under-selection of athletes born in the last quarter of the year has been called the relative age effect （RAE）. Its existence in youth sports like soccer is well established. Why it occurs has not been identified, however, one thought is that older players, generally taller and heavier, are thought to improve the team＇s chances of winning. To test this assumption, birth dates and match outcome were correlated to see if teams with the oldest mean age had a systematic advantage against teams with younger mean ages. Methods： Player birth dates and team records （n = 5943 players on 371 teams; both genders; U11-U16） were obtained from the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association for the highest level of statewide youth competition. Results： The presence of an RAE was demonstrated with significant oversampling from players born in the I st vs. the 4th quarter （overall： 29.6% vs. 20.9% respectively, p 〈 0.0001）. Mean team age was regressed on match outcomes （winning %, points/match, points/goal, and goals for, against, and goal difference）, but there was no evidence of any systematic influence of mean team age and match outcomes, except possibly in U11 males. Conclusion： Selecting players based on physical maturity （and subsequently, on age） does not appear to have any systematic influence on match outcome or season record in youth soccer suggesting that the selection process should be focused on player ability and not on physical maturation.展开更多
Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era,marking the beginning of a new era of youth.In contemporary China,the new era has given young people the historical mission of seeking happiness for the Chi...Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era,marking the beginning of a new era of youth.In contemporary China,the new era has given young people the historical mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people,the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,and for the progress of the people in the world.Cultivating the mission and responsibility of youth is not only the requirement for national development,but also for young people to be qualified in the new era.Therefore,youth of the new era should clarify their status and mission,cultivate responsibility,and strive to become builders and successors of socialist modernization.展开更多
文摘Purpose： In age-restricted youth sport, the over-selection of athletes born in the first quarter of the year and under-selection of athletes born in the last quarter of the year has been called the relative age effect （RAE）. Its existence in youth sports like soccer is well established. Why it occurs has not been identified, however, one thought is that older players, generally taller and heavier, are thought to improve the team＇s chances of winning. To test this assumption, birth dates and match outcome were correlated to see if teams with the oldest mean age had a systematic advantage against teams with younger mean ages. Methods： Player birth dates and team records （n = 5943 players on 371 teams; both genders; U11-U16） were obtained from the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association for the highest level of statewide youth competition. Results： The presence of an RAE was demonstrated with significant oversampling from players born in the I st vs. the 4th quarter （overall： 29.6% vs. 20.9% respectively, p 〈 0.0001）. Mean team age was regressed on match outcomes （winning %, points/match, points/goal, and goals for, against, and goal difference）, but there was no evidence of any systematic influence of mean team age and match outcomes, except possibly in U11 males. Conclusion： Selecting players based on physical maturity （and subsequently, on age） does not appear to have any systematic influence on match outcome or season record in youth soccer suggesting that the selection process should be focused on player ability and not on physical maturation.
文摘Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era,marking the beginning of a new era of youth.In contemporary China,the new era has given young people the historical mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people,the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,and for the progress of the people in the world.Cultivating the mission and responsibility of youth is not only the requirement for national development,but also for young people to be qualified in the new era.Therefore,youth of the new era should clarify their status and mission,cultivate responsibility,and strive to become builders and successors of socialist modernization.
