ABSTRACT
As individuals age both physical and psychological performances suffer. For many this decline begins in the mid to late twenties and continues as a steady decline through until around the age of 60. As well as experiencing cognitive decline with age, there is also a well-established view that physical/physiological performance capacity also decreases. This chapter explores factors that determine career length in performance domains, and will seek to clarify the process by which physical and psychological decline takes place. It discusses the impact that expertise and accumulated experience can have, and also consider the implications for performance. Ice hockey reported a similar outcome, in terms of no differences between positions, but longer careers being attributed to better performance over time. Significant position differences were reported in American football, with quarterback and defensive skill positions more likely to have longer careers than offensive skill positions or defensive linemen.
