PhD, Associate Professor D.M. Pravdov¹
Dr. Hab., Professor M.A. Pravdov¹
PhD, Associate Professor A.V. Kornev¹
PhD, Associate Professor Y.B. Nikiforov^2
1Russian State Social University, Moscow
²Armavir State Pedagogical University, Armavir

Corresponding author: pravdov@mail.ru

Keywords: motor action accuracy, ball throws on target, exercise balls varied in weights and sizes, muscular control, schoolchildren with minor mental retardation.

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and test benefits of a new motor action accuracy training model for the 12-13 year-old minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed children, with a set of exercise balls varied in weights and sizes and postural control tools.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled the 12-13 year-old minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed children (n= 42) from a correctional boarding school in Shuya (Ivanovo Oblast) for a 5-month motor action accuracy training model testing experiment. The Experimental Group was training was complemented by the motor action accuracy advancement model using a set of exercise balls varied in weights and sizes with a special postural control toolkit geared to help improve the motor controls by exercises with spatial control requirements and limitations including fixations of limbs and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. The ball throwing exercises were grouped basically by the ball sizes and weights into five groups: see Table 1. The ball surfaces and elasticity (leather, plastic, rubber, pimpled etc.) were also different to excel the tactile sensations.

Conclusion. The new motor action accuracy training model for the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed 12-13 year-old schoolchildren was tested beneficial as verified by the Experimental Group making significant progress versus Reference Group in the motor control and balls throw on target tests. Thus the post-experimental target hitting accuracy tests with the 3/ 5/ 7m far targets yielded  89%/ 76%/ 74% accuracy rates for the Experimental Group, respectively, that were significantly higher than in the Reference Group.

Background. Modern adaptive physical education theory and practice gives a high priority to the motor action accuracy training in schoolchildren with minor mental retardation [1-3]. The relevant correctional education institutions for the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed children report that team sports elements are of special difficulties for the trainees due to the poor motor action accuracy and muscular control. Our analysis of the study reports on the subject showed that the adaptive sports theory and practice are still underdeveloped in the muscular control training technologies on the whole and throwing techniques improvement technologies in particular in application to the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed schoolchildren [5, 7].

Benefits analyses of the basketball ball throwing on target and other team sports technologies for the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed schoolchildren have demonstrated the typical motor errors due to inefficiencies of the individual movement spacing and pacing control mechanisms i.e. muscular control [5, 7], with these motor disorders traditionally ranked among the minor mental retardations symptoms. Some analysts of the adaptive sports technologies and their special technical and physical training tools for the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed trainees have proved benefits of a few motor action accuracy training methods to improve the situational responses in the health group [1, 4]. Therefore, we believe that focused studies to develop motor action accuracy by versatile tools including exercise ball throwing techniques may be beneficial for motor progress of the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed underage trainees.

Objective of the study was to develop and test benefits of a new motor action accuracy training model for the 12-13 year-old minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed children, with a set of exercise balls varied in weights and sizes and postural control tools.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled the 12-13 year-old minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed children (n= 42) from a correctional boarding school in Shuya (Ivanovo Oblast) for a 5-month motor action accuracy training model testing experiment. The EG was training was complemented with the motor action accuracy advancement model using a set of exercise balls varied in weights and sizes with a special postural control toolkit geared to help improve the motor control by exercises with spatial control requirements and limitations including fixations of limbs and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. The ball throwing exercises were grouped basically by the ball sizes and weights into five groups: see Table 1. The ball surfaces and elasticity (leather, plastic, rubber, pimpled etc.) were also different to excel the tactile sensations.

Table 1. Customized exercise balls throwing tools to excel the motor action accuracy in the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed sample

The exercise balls throws were varied in spatial aspects to include right/ left/ front/ back ones; on large and small targets from 1-2m distances. The ball sizes, weights and throw distances were customized to the individual motor action accuracy progress and finalized, when the motor action accuracy training goal was attained, by standard (basketball, volleyball, tennis) balls throwing practices and tests.

Furthermore, with the individual motor action accuracy progress we increased the exercise balls throw distances to maximums, with the throws made by the lead/ non-lead/ both hands and with open/ closed eyes, with the latter practices taking up to 65% and 35% of the total training time, respectively. First, we used the standard ball long throws to find the individual maximums and mark the ¼, ½ and ¾ points within the maximal range. We marked the volleyball and basketball courts with the latter individual marks plus the 3/ 6/ 9/ 18m marks and 1-3m height marks. The ball throws were made on the marks-fixed targets, with every subject making 5-7 throws with 20-35 repetitions. The distances and heights were increased in a stepped manner by 1m and 3-18m, respectively. With the individual motor action accuracy progress, the variation step was reduced from 1m to 50cm (with the minimal step of 10cm). The repetitions were increased from 15-20 to 30-40 per session at the warm-up and core training stages finalized by the standard (volleyball, basketball and tennis) balls throwing practices.

The 60-min group trainings were run twice a week, with the new motor action accuracy training model averaging 40% of the total training time per year. Initially the motor action accuracy trainings took 25% of the training time followed by 36% in the advanced and 39% at the excellence stages, respectively. The individual motor action accuracy progress was tested by a special test set including 10 eyes-closed and 10 eyes-open throws on horizontal 3/ 5/ 7m far and 1m high target (30cm ring).

Results and discussion. The new motor action accuracy training model for the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed children was tested beneficial as verified by the EG progress of 2.3/ 2.2/ 2.13 times in the 3/ 5/ 7m far target hitting accuracy tests, respectively. The RG progress in the motor action accuracy tests was less expressed and significantly lower than in the EG (p<0.05). The varied-size-and-weight exercise balls throwing practices facilitated progress of the EG in the muscular control and spatial control domains. The post-experimental eyes-closed target hitting accuracy was tested to grow significantly to 37%/ 31%/ 23% for the 3/ 5/ 7m far targets, respectively; versus the RG test rates that were significantly (p <0.05) lower: see Table 2.

Table 2. Pre- versus post-experimental target hitting accuracy test data in the exercise balls throwing tests of the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed sample (10 attempts per test)

Practical competitive accomplishments of the EG in the post-experimental period in the basketball, pioneer-ball and outdoor ‘hunters and ducks’ matches once again proved progress of the EG versus RG in the motor action accuracy, as the EG won every match.

Conclusion. The new motor action accuracy training model for the minor-mental-retardation-diagnosed 12-13 years old schoolchildren was tested beneficial as verified by the EG making significant progress versus RG in the motor control and balls throw on target tests. Thus the post-experimental target hitting accuracy tests with the 3/ 5/ 7m far targets yielded  89%/ 76%/ 74% accuracy rates for the EG, respectively, that were significantly higher than in the RG.

References

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