15/06/2026
Most parents never hear about this and it changes how you see every "good" young player.
It's called the relative age effect.
A few years ago, at the 2023 under-17 World Cup, 46% of the players were born in the first quarter of the year, and just 9% in the last.
The reason is simple. A child born in September can be nearly a year older than an August-born teammate in the same team.
At 7 or 8, that year means bigger, faster, stronger. Not (always) more talented.
Just older. And those kids get labelled "good" early.
Here's the part nobody expects. Being the early developer can actually backfire.
If it all comes easy, they never have to build real skill, they just rely on being quicker and stronger.
When the others catch up physically, plenty of those early standouts fade and some drop out altogether.
So if your child seems behind right now, take a breath.
They might just be younger. Keep them playing, keep them enjoying it, and give them time.
The gap closes more often than you'd think.
