This article appears in the March edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Join US Lacrosse today to start your subscription.

Research shows that among elite athletes, there’s an over-representation of those born in the first three months following a sport’s age and eligibility cutoff date. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Relative Age Effect, and it has some serious implications for the development of aspiring young athletes.

For example, using the Sept. 1 cutoff, a 14U league might pit a player who turned 13 on Aug. 31 against someone who turned 14 on Sept. 1 of the preceding year. Fast-forward several months to the start of lacrosse season, and we now have an athlete who is 14 years and 6 months old, alongside an athlete who is 13 years, 6 months and 1 day old. Kids at the younger end of the spectrum often don’t get played, miss out on training opportunities and even get cut in favor of their more physically mature peers.

Coaches and administrators: Don’t let these potential stars slip through the cracks. Below are five ways to combat the Relative Age Effect.

1. Be aware of birth dates. Group quarter-one and quarter-four kids accordingly.

2. Emphasize skill development alongside physical fitness and attributes.

3. Assign playing positions and roles based on skills and qualities, not physical size. Make sure everyone plays a variety of positions.

4. Enable athletes to play down as well as up for the best fit.

5. Find a place for quarter-four participants. These will be some of your most strategic and resilient performers.

For more on this subject, see the original post on the US Lacrosse blog.