Unlocking Athletic Potential: Maturation and Relative Age in Selection Processes and Challenge Dynamics

The field of sport talent development has long sought to identify and nurture promising athletes from an early age, yet persistent biases rooted in biological and systemic factors continue to challenge the validity and fairness of selection processes. Among these, the influence of biological maturation and the relative age effect has gained increasing attention, as they are crucial determinants shaping access to sporting opportunities, performance progression, and long-term trajectories. Current research has revealed that early maturers or relatively older athletes often enjoy disproportionate advantages in selection systems, while their later-maturing or younger counterparts may be prematurely excluded from development pathways. Recent studies emphasize the significance of examining these disparities alongside biopsychosocial dynamics that influence motivation, resilience, and adaptability in sport environments. However, despite growing academic interest, inconsistencies in how maturation and relative age are measured, interpreted, and mitigated remain a major gap in both research and practice, calling for deeper interdisciplinary exploration and applied frameworks to address these biases sustainably.



This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of how biological maturation and relative age shape talent identification, selection, and developmental experiences across sporting contexts. Specifically, it seeks to identify structural and psychological mechanisms that underpin inequities in opportunity and performance, as well as to analyze how fluctuating challenge dynamics interact with growth and maturity over time. The overarching goal is to provide empirical and theoretical contributions that inform more holistic, athlete-centred, and context-sensitive models of talent development. By integrating insights from physiology, psychology, pedagogy, and sports management, contributors are encouraged to propose innovative strategies and interventions that promote equitable assessment, support long-term athlete retention, and foster inclusive excellence in sport.



To gather further insights across developmental and performance settings, this Research Topic welcomes contributions addressing—but not limited to—the following themes:



Interactions between biological maturation, relative age, and talent identification systems

Structural and cultural biases in youth sport selection and their impact on equitable development

Influence of challenge dynamics on physical, technical, tactical, psychological, and social performance domains

Longitudinal analyses of maturation-related trajectories in individual and team sports

Biopsychosocial models and contextual frameworks for athlete-centred talent development

Intervention programmes and policy recommendations to mitigate relative age and maturation biases

Methodological innovations in assessing and monitoring maturation and relative age effects

Appendix (Article types): Original quantitative and qualitative research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative or scoping reviews, longitudinal studies, case studies, theoretical perspectives, methodological papers, and applied contributions presenting interventions or assessment tools for coaches, practitioners, and policymakers.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Relative age effect, biological maturation, talent identification, sport selection, athlete development, long-term athlete development, youth sport, talent pathway, challenge dynamics, biopsychosocial factors

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.