The growing pressure to identify and nurture talented athletes for adult competitions has led sports organizations to invest significant efforts in identifying markers of talent at increasingly younger ages (1, 2). Initially, coaches were responsible for this task, but over time, it has shifted towards sport scientists (3, 4). However, in most cases, the final decision regarding the evaluation and development of young prospects still rests with the coaches (5). A significant challenge in the pursuit of a reliable predictive model for adult performance is the emergence of the "biologic genotype," which suggests that genetics plays a partial role in the physical, physiological, or anthropometric traits necessary for athletic success (6). This phenomenon occurs during childhood and adolescence, coinciding with the period of sport specialization (6, 7). Alongside contextual factors, three major interrelated developmental problems arise when considering a viable model of talent identification and development: growth and maturation, relative age effect, and maturation and training loads. These problems have gained increased awareness in the context of youth sports and talent identification and development (8-10). In particular, there has been a recent discussion emphasizing the importance of maturation and relative age in talent development (11). Here, we extend the discussion to address often overlooked assumptions and their potential implications for researchers and coaches` interpretations.
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