ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we introduce Relative Age Effects (RAEs) and highlight two themes related to these phenomena: serendipity and irony. Due to the arbitrary nature of sport cut-off dates, and the (dis)advantages associated with one’s day of birth falling on either side of these dates, serendipity plays an outsized role in youth development. The irony lies in the fact that youth are traditionally grouped based on their chronological ages to promote equality of opportunity, age appropriate instruction, and ensure participant safety, yet the reality falls short of these laudable objectives. Despite 35 years of research, RAEs remain highly prevalent in sport.
