Does your birthday affect your sportiness?

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Iron_Mum
Iron_Mum
Jan 2016
8:40am, 2 Jan 2016
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Iron_Mum
I'm copy-editing a brilliant book at the moment on parenting, and just came across this paragraph, which rings absolutely true in this house:

'Research shows that the month of your birth determines the likelihood of you becoming a successful sports person and your enjoyment of sport. Children who are born early in the school year have physical maturity which gives them an advantage in sport over their smaller and less coordinated peers. If smaller children get disheartened they may lose interest in playing sport and even if they catch up physically they are behind in the acquisition of skills. Sport is often conducted in a very competitive environment and if children are competing against others who have greater physical advantages they will often lose.'

For 40 years I labelled myself as 'not sporty', and it took me a good 3 years of running before I actually dared call myself a runner - I'm a June baby. Child 1, born May, enjoys sport but has a very poor image of her abilities. Child 2, born January, has an unshakeable natural confidence in his abilities.

I'd never thought about that association before, and thought it might be interesting to hear if that holds true for others. If nothing else it's a useful insight when you're trying to get your own kids into sport, I think.
Sharkie
Sharkie
Jan 2016
8:44am, 2 Jan 2016
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Sharkie
I've come across this is a couple of places - the excellent book 'bounce' which I think all aspiring athletes should read, and one on a similar theme 'outliers' I think. Malcolm Gladwell anyway.

I'm a January baby myself, and although I never made more than five foot three, was amongst the four or five tallest girls at primary school, and fastest runners. Then I stopped growing and did no sport at grammar school!
PenW
PenW
Jan 2016
8:46am, 2 Jan 2016
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PenW
I read this in freakonomics - I think one of the big examples is the professional ice hockey players in Canada who mostly have birthdays in January, February and March. I think it may apply more for professional sports than general sportiness. In particular in Canada this was due to early selection for more intense training which meant that those with a physical advantage early on got extra training which further separated them (if I remember correctly).

I for one am a counter example to your premise - November birthday and definitely non sporty at school. I think there were many other factors in play - for me a lack of confidence and the awful PE teachers who only favoured those already good at sport and pretty much humiliated the rest of us. I still have a horror of team sports!
PenW
PenW
Jan 2016
8:47am, 2 Jan 2016
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PenW
Ah yes it was outliers not freakonomics!

I only became "sporty" when I discovered running as an individual sport in my 30s
Iron_Mum
Iron_Mum
Jan 2016
8:47am, 2 Jan 2016
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Iron_Mum
Oddly enough they've just gone on to talk about 'Bounce' and Syed's findings, will have to read that...
Alice the Camel
Alice the Camel
Jan 2016
8:48am, 2 Jan 2016
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Alice the Camel
An interesting idea and I can see the logic behind it. But, I'd think that by the time school sport becomes competitive the size differences/physical maturity levels would have evened out. I'm a January birthday and have never been sporty.
Iron_Mum
Iron_Mum
Jan 2016
8:48am, 2 Jan 2016
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Iron_Mum
That's interesting PenW - I suppose the other big factor is the PE teacher who can make or break your early experience!
HowFar?
HowFar?
Jan 2016
8:50am, 2 Jan 2016
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HowFar?
bbc.co.uk A related article from the BBC
Iron_Mum
Iron_Mum
Jan 2016
8:50am, 2 Jan 2016
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Iron_Mum
I dunno AtC - Child 2's year (Year 3) are fiercely competitive - amongst themselves at least - and you can still see the physical differences between the older and younger kids. But yes, the school sports day is resolutely, comically uncompetitive ;-)
PenW
PenW
Jan 2016
8:51am, 2 Jan 2016
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PenW
I think some of the sporty people in my year were summer birthdays too but I don't really know. They were the year bullies too :-(
One of my best friends at school was a December birthday and similarly in the "last to be picked for team sports" group and is not at all sporty now. She has a similar horror of team sports.

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I'm copy-editing a brilliant book at the moment on parenting, and just came across this paragraph, ...

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