1: Odds Ratios | How Hometown Population Affects Athlete Odds cover art

1: Odds Ratios | How Hometown Population Affects Athlete Odds

1: Odds Ratios | How Hometown Population Affects Athlete Odds

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Episode 1 — The Birthplace Effect: Population Size, Relative Age, and the Hidden Ecology of Talent

This episode reviews the landmark 2006 study by Côté et al. examining how birthplace population and birthdate influence elite athlete emergence across the NHL, MLB, NBA, and PGA.

Topics covered:

  • Why the strongest athlete representation comes from cities of 50,000–100,000

  • Effect size comparisons: birthplace (3.51) vs. relative age (0.44)

  • Why large metropolitan areas and rural towns under-produce pros

  • Environmental and psychosocial explanations for the “Goldilocks Zone”

  • Updated caveats from recent (2021–2024) research

  • Practical implications for parents, coaches, and development pathways

Link to the original article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17115521/

Hosted by: Evan Kurylo
Presented by: Coretex Athletics
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