Dr. Hab., Professor A.E. Bolotin¹
Dr. Hab., Associate Professor O.E. Ponimasov²
Dr. Hab., Professor S.S. Aganov³
PhD, Associate Professor N.V. Ryzhkin^4
1Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg
²Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg
³Saint Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, Saint Petersburg
⁴Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of the sports imagination tree application in the student sports club training system for competitive progress.
Methods and structure of the study. We used a qualitative description and overview survey method to make detailed psychological profiles of the athletes trained and competing at the student sports club. The psychological traits were rated by the Sports Imagination Questionnaire (SIQ) by K. Hall et al with its five-branch (‘fractals’) imagination tree.
Results and conclusion. The student sports club trainings were found dominated by the psychological modeling of behavior in the competitive strategies on the whole and individual situational response tactics in particular. Unless the real perceptions are supported by efficient stimulating effects, the athletes are found to prefer specific/ selected imaginative representations. The selective logics were tested to prevail over abstract logics due to the better understanding of specific actions or situations by the athletes – in contrast to the generalized behavioral strategies. The imaginary movement sequences and behavioral models are normally activated in response to the trigger situations as dictated by the cognitive images. We would recommend as promising for the student sports club training system improvement efforts a customizable goal-setting and sports imagination training component for competitive progress.

Keywords: university athletes, psychological traits, sports imagination tree.

References

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