| Relative Age and Elite Junior Hockey | |||
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The Figure at left shows the distribution of
birth-months of players in two Canadian major junior hockey leagues
(the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League). The
data indicate that the probability of success in high calibre hockey is
dramatically reduced for those born at the end of the year.
Furthermore, among National League Hockey Players who were active in the early 1980s, about 40% were born in the first quarter of the year, 30% in the second, 20% in the third, and less than 10% were born in the final quarter. In terms of playing at a high level, boys born in the last part of the year have a much lower chance than those born at the beginning of the year. The fact that January and December, which are juxtaposed, show such dissimilar results, suggests that it is not the weather during conception or birth that has made the difference. |
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| Source: Barnsley RH, Thompson AH, Barnsley PE (1985). Hockey success and birth-date: The relative age effect. Journal of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Nov.-Dec., 23-28. Click here for a copy. | |||
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