RESEARCH QUARTERLY

editions of the National Hockey Guide.> The players whose names are
listed during a given year in the “Who’s Who” roster of the National
Hockey Guide are probably the most skillful hockey players on the
North American continent.

Figure 5 sets forth cross-sectional data for a five-year period, the
total number of player-years being 823. Ice hockey players are most
frequently at their best from ages 24 to 25, and the most successful
five-year interval is that from ages 24 to 28 inclusive. It should be
understood of course that this statement applies to the hockey players
as a group. It does not apply to every individual player.

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

Figure 6 presents the ages of professional football players. The
names of the players and their chronological ages were obtained from
Who’s Who in Major League Football. Figure 6 reveals that profes-
sional football players are rarely less than 22 years of age, a finding
which is explained by the following quotation:

“The National League made peace with the college critics when it de-
creed that no university player can be signed until his class has been gradu-
ated. . . Professional football is reserved for those who have completed
their college courses.” ®

 

100%

80

 

 

 

5S 60 «615 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

 

 

 

Ficure 7. Chronological ages at which Ficure 8. Chronological ages at which
87 state corn-husking championships drivers won either first, second, or third
were won or retained. The broken line place in the Indianapolis Speedway
makes allowances for the population Races.
differences at the various age levels.

Because of the selective factor that is mentioned in the above quo-
tation, we can say only that the modal age for football proficiency
probably occurs not later than that which is set forth in Figure 6,