14-25 would be a 'junior' cassette. Junior racers are restricted to gearing no higher than a certain value, depending on their age. The cassettes are available but are not common.

12-25 is a more typical Shimano 9sp cassette.

The switch to lower gearing isn't due to the aging rider population, it's that the pros have realized that appropriate gearing makes them faster, and we of course ape them. I no longer hear racers on the starting line berating each other for having 'wussy' low gears. I used to get that a lot when I used a 53/39 crank and a 13-24 cassette. Back then 13-21 was the norm and everyone struggled on steep hills.