Hi If you google "birthdate sports success" quite a few studies come up, including more recent one's in hockey and a number for other sports. I did not look at them all, but there were interesting variations ... for example, I seem to remember something for soccer in UK where age cut-offs occur in fall rather than at end of year. Other sports did not show the effect. Presumably even more would be found in PsycInfo or similar sports databases.
I like your idea about actually looking at team rosters. Depending on ease of access, perhaps students in class could find different rosters for different sports in different locales?? One possible confounding is base rate for births by month. Here is link to statistics for Canada, showing that if anything base rates favor Mar to Sept/Oct months (i.e., more births in those months). Perhaps class can generate some hypotheses for that effect? http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/Products/Reference/tech_rep/age_sex/table2.cfm Nice exercise! Take care Jim James M. Clark Professor of Psychology 204-786-9757 204-774-4134 Fax [email protected] Department of Psychology University of Winnipeg Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 CANADA >>> "Beth Benoit" <[email protected]> 06-Jan-09 8:30 AM >>> What a perfect follow-up study, Jim. Interesting thought that older players (January - June birthdates) continue to play minor hockey till a later age than do the younger players (July - December birthdates) who tend to drop out of the sport. Hmmm...do you think this is a good subject pool though? It was only one hockey program, one season, almost 25 years ago: METHOD Subjects The team rosters of all players registered in the hockey program of the Edmonton Minor Hockey Association for the 1983-84 season comprised the sample for this study. Beth Benoit Granite State College New Hampshire On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 8:15 PM, Jim Clark <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi > > Here's a nice study with data. > > http://www.socialproblemindex.ualberta.ca/RelAgeMinorHockeyCJBS.pdf > > Jim > > > James M. Clark > Professor of Psychology > 204-786-9757 > 204-774-4134 Fax > [email protected] > > Department of Psychology > University of Winnipeg > Winnipeg, Manitoba > R3B 2E9 > CANADA > > > >>> "Christopher D. Green" <[email protected]> 05-Jan-09 6:30 PM >>> > Beth Benoit wrote: > > > > The section I'm considering using is the claim that Canadian ice > > hockey players are more likely to be born in the first few months of > > the calendar year. I'll probably follow the same method as > > above, breaking students into groups to examine the roster I'll hand > > out, then giving them Gladwell's explanation. > > .... > > I'd also be interested in thoughts from our Canadian brethren about > > the concept of early birthdates being helpful to hockey success. > > Stephen, Chris? > > Funny, I had just heard this claim over Christmas from a relative of > mine. She said that something like half of NHLers are born in the first > three or four months of the year. But for all I know, she got this from > the Gladwell book (which I haven't read). > > The general claim makes some sense to me. When kids are young, the size > and coordination differences between those born in January and those > born in December can be quite noticeable. I'd be a little surprised, > however, if this continued on into the elite levels as strongly as is > claimed for three reasons: (1) Many professional hockey players are > mostly huge compared to the rest of us, and so they were probably never > small compared to their classes, even if they were a few months younger > then average. (2) It is not the case that once you're the best in your > class you always remain that way. For instance, I was just talking to > friends whose 14-yr-old daughter has been very good a volleyball until > now. She was also taller than most of her classmates, but this year she > her growth has slowed while many of her classmates have caught up or > passed her, so she is quite suddenly not as dominant as she has been up > to now. By the time one reaches elite levels of sport, I would expect > that much of the early advantage would be neutralized. (3) At elite > levels of a sport, sheer physical talent is an important factor. Most of > we ordinary mortals could not compete with them even if we practiced as > many hours a day as they do. > > Canada goes against Sweden for the world junior championship tonight! Go > Canucks! > > Chris > -- > > Christopher D. Green > Department of Psychology > York University > Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 > Canada > > > > 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 > [email protected] > http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ > > ========================== > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > -- "We will not learn how to live in peace by killing each other's children." - Jimmy Carter "Are our children more precious than theirs?" --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
