女子青少年跆拳道運動員相對年齡效應之分析

Analysis of the relative age effect in female junior taekwondo athletes

本研究調查青少年女子跆拳道選手出生月的人數分佈，以了解是否有相對年齡效應的存在。研究對象為國高中女子跆拳道選手114人，收集每位選手出生月份以及賽事成績等資料，出生月依照開學9月做為基準，並分四季進行統計，成績則依參加全國賽事曾獲前4名者為優秀組，其餘為次佳組。數據以SPSS22.0中文版統計軟體處理，分別進行描述性統計和卡方檢定分析。結果顯示選手第1-4季出生人數分別為37、26、22、29人，經卡方檢定P值為0.236，人數分布差異不顯著。優秀與次佳組人數分別為37與77人，優秀組1-4季出生人數分別為13、10、6、8人，卡方檢定P值為0.409，人數分佈差異不顯著。次佳組1-4季出生人數分別為37、26、22、29人，卡方檢定P值為0.488，四季人數分佈差異不顯著。根據本研究，優秀青少年女子跆拳道選手四季總人數分佈，以及優秀組和次佳組都不具相對年齡效應。推測原因是青少女因發育成熟時間較男生早，多數青少年女子跆拳道選手在進到國中後成長速度下降許多，加上跆拳道賽事分量級比賽，出生月較晚、體型較小的運動員可以參加較輕量級的賽事而不受影響。

This study investigated the distribution of birth month of adolescent female taekwondo athletes to discern the relative age effect. 114 female taekwondo players in junior and senior high school were recruited in this study. The birth month and results in competition events of each player were collected. Because the school year started in September, birth month between September and November was grouped as season 1, and birth month between December-February, March-May, and June-August, were grouped as season 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Performance of these athletes was divided as the elite and the sub-elite. Those won a medal in a national-wide game in the past year were grouped as the elite and the others were grouped as the sub-elite. The data was processed with SPSS 22.0 Chinese version statistical software with descriptive statistics and chi-square test analysis were performed. The statistical test level is set toα= .05. The results showed that the number of athletes in the first to fourth seasons was 37, 26, 22, and 29, respectively. The chi-square test showed the numbers of four seasons were not significantly different. In the elite 37 athletes, the numbers of fourth seasons were 13, 10, 6, and 8, respectively, and chi-square test showed the difference of the number was not significant. In the sub-elite 77 athletes, the numbers of fourth seasons were 37, 26, 22, and 29, and likewise, difference of the number was not significant in the chi-square test. According to this study, the relative age effect was not existed in these young female taekwondo players, even in the elite group. In general, young females matured earlier than the young males. The young female athletes of this study may pass the growth spurt, and hence the advantage of earlier mature diminished. Moreover, events of taekwondo competition are categorized by weight classes, young female athletes who born later may have a smaller body size hence be benefitted to compete in lighter weight classes.