Relative age effect and dropout causes in a multisport club setting. Is there a special reason to give up?

• Autor(a) principal: PENNA, Eduardo Macedo
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: CAMPOS, Bruno Teobaldo, GONÇALVES, Gabriela Gomes Pavan, GODINHO, Gustavo Henrique Pereira, LIMA, Claudio Olívio Vilela, PRADO, Luciano Sales, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0058-7967, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1816-8325, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6006-0425, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2773-4795, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5419-5024, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7554-1926
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFPA
• Texto Completo: http://repositorio.ufpa.br/jspui/handle/2011/11952; http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1980-6574201800040011
• topic: Relative age effect; Dropout; Sport psychology

The aim of the present study was 1) compare the drop-out rates between athletes born in different trimesters of the competitive year from different sports and 2) identify the causes pointed by the dropped-out athletes born in different selection year trimesters to disengage from the competitive sports environment. Methods: Data from 966 athletes who left the competitive sports context were analyzed under the Relative Age Effect (RAE) theoretical framework during 3 consecutive seasons. The drop-out rate and the reason to quit the competitive environment were analyzed by a routine club questionnaire. Results: An expected reverse RAE on drop-out rates was identified, in which the early born athletes were overrepresented (p<0.001). Regarding the reasons to disengage from competitive sports environment, no reason emerged as the main cause to dropout between athletes born in different selection year trimester. Conclusion: It was concluded that despite the common assumption that personal psychological issues related to RAE in late born athletes are important factors influencing sports disengagement, the relationship between drop-out and RAE is more complex and multifactorial.