This study examined the existence of two factors associated with achieving a high level of proficiency in sport - the relative age effect (RAE) and the birthplace effect. Information on these effects was collected from 521 male players playing for various Division 1 ball clubs in Israel (the highest division in the country): 68 basketball players, 161 handball players, 209 soccer players, and 83 volleyball players. Three main findings emerged from the data analyses: (a) RAE did not exist in the studied ball games, (b) a birthplace effect was observed in soccer, handball, and volleyball, but not in basketball, and (c) the birthplace effect was not found to be associated with cities of a similar size. It is proposed that a sport- and culture-specific approach be adopted when examining environmental factors associated with sport expertise in countries with a small population such as Israel.
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