Maths and Hockey

In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell showed the player roster of the 2007 Medicine Hat Tigers Hockey Team (researched by a Canadian psychologist named Roger Barnsley).

The Key Points from this were:

1. Seventeen out of the twenty five players were born in January, February, March and April.

2. The same pattern occurred throughout the National Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

3. He found that in any elite group of hockey players that around 70% were born between January and June. But why?

4. Because there is a January 1st cut off date for selection. This means that a boy born in January is directly competing against a boy born in December. The boy born in January therefore has the advantage of a years diference in growth over the boy born in December.The point is that Boys born earlier in the year have an advantage over those born in the latter part of the year because of the arbitary cut off date for selection of the 1st January and they are therefore more likely to be selected because they are on average stronger and faster.

5. This same pattern is seen in our education systems only with a different cut off date. In the UK and in many countries the cut of date is the September 1st which means that the nearer a child is born to this date the more of an age advantage they have and therefore the more of a developmental advantage they have over children born later in the academic year.

So what benefits do those born in the earlier in the academic year have? Children born earlier have the advantage of age, maturity and size?

They are more likely to be:

• Selected for plays

• Volunteering for to speak more often

• Chosen for responsibility

• Chosen as leaders

• Achieving higher grades

• Excelling in school teams

• Streamed in higher groups

• Achieve higher self-esteem.

What advantages are the those born later in the academic year missing out on?

The education system has certainly dealt the younger children a big disadvantage and this begs the question;

What can you as a parent do?

Complaining about the system is of no use. However, you can do something about this and give your child the edge through giving them time, communicating to them the best learning techniques, and building their confidence.

So now you know the connection between Ice Hockey and Maths.

The Instant Recall Method was originated Tony Lazar of The learning Well, an educational organisation formed with Alan McMahon and Mandip Sohal to help children, parents and adults improve their numeracy, literacy, learning and communication skills. Go to http://www.timestablesmaths.com to find out more.