Search

The relative age effect (RAE) describes the physical and cognitive (dis)advantages experienced by athletes based upon when their birthdate falls relative to a pre-established cut-off date. Despite RAEs being present in a number of sports, few studies have explored how relative age influences the positive youth development (PYD) of athletes. This study examined the mechanisms that facilitate and hinder athletes' acquisition of PYD outcomes and whether these are influenced by relative age. A secondary objective included determining how athletes employed these skills in other contexts. Twenty competitive female ice hockey players were interviewed (mage = 17. 2 years). Thematic analyses revealed that all athletes, regardless of their relative age, developed a range of PYD outcomes in the personal, physical, and social domains, and have applied these skills in a variety of contexts outside of sport. Across relative younger and older athletes, three interrelated themes emerged and served as the overarching mechanisms that facilitated or hindered athletes' development of PYD outcomes: the social features of the sport environment, the structure of female travel/rep ice hockey, and negative ice hockey experiences. Our findings have implications for creating sport environments that foster PYD. Keywords: positive youth development; relative age effect; female ice hockey; negative developmental experiences; qualitative research, Within sport, it is common practice for athletes to be categorized by chronological age (Baker et al., 2010; Musch & Grondin, 2001) to ensure fairness in competition, age-appropriate instruction, and [...]

Copyright of Journal on Developmental Disabilities is the property of Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A major concern in the context of aging populations is improving patterns of active leisure involvement. However, there is insufficient knowledge pertaining to the relationship between successful aging and active leisure. Preliminary evidence indicates older Canadian women have varying beliefs about the ways they can age successfully and the role physical activity may have in this process. To more fully inform health promotion initiatives, the current study explored the related perspectives of 19 older Canadian men (75–90 years of age) who varied in their level of physical activity involvement. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through the use of standard coding and comparison procedures. Overall, older men appeared to also use multiple perspectives to frame the intersection of successful aging and physically active leisure. Researchers, practitioners, and policy makers should be aware of these nuances so that aging-related programs and policies may be tailored accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]