Dr. Hab., Professor I.G. Maksimenko
PhD A.V. Voronkov
L.V. Zhilina
Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod

Keywords: adaptation, analysis, team sports, cyclic sports, long-term training, experience, conditions, problem.

Introduction

Problems and challenges of the long-term youth training process quality improvement in team sport disciplines are rated among the top priorities by researchers at present [1–6]. One of the potential ways to solve them is to explore in detail the practical experience of the long-term training systems applied in a variety of sport disciplines and then prudently implement the most promising elements and approaches in the team sport training systems [2, 4, 5]. Analysшs of the sport success records for the last 10–15 years as reported by chronicles of the major European and World championships and the recent research publications give grounds to rate cyclic sports as leaders in using the most efficient long-term training systems [4, 8]. This situation gives us the reasons to undertake experimental studies to find potential ways for the long-term youth training process in team sport disciplines being redesigned on an optimal basis.

Objective of the study was to make a comparative analysis of the long-term youth training systems applied by the team sports vs. cyclic sports to find the most promising ways to solve the major problems of the sport reserve training system.

Results and discussion. It is a matter of common knowledge today that a cyclic sport training system must be designed based on provisions of the periodicity theory [4]. Moreover, the process designer shall make due consideration for the fact that every stage of the long-term training process is characterized by its own problems and challenges often closely interrelated with the competitive season schedule, events duration and intensity, and all these aspects need to be factored in the training process structure. It should be noted in this context that cyclic sports are always governed by the timeframes of the competitive and preparatory seasons, and their training systems are always limited by specific timing requirements. Based on analysis of the reference literature on the subject, coaching reports, educational surveys, questioning surveys of coaches and athletes and sport experts’ opinion polls etc. - we have found that frame design models of the beginner youth training macro-, meso- and micro-cycles within the primary, preparatory and special basic training process stages (as per the V.N. Platonov’s classification of the training process structure) – are quite simple for the cyclic sport disciplines.

They are basically designed so that the second stage of the process, as compared to the first one, requires the process intensity and loads being increased in a phased manner [1, 3, 4]. It is important to mention in this context that a vast majority of experts in swimming and track and field sports, for instance, firmly believe that no kind of early specialization is acceptable for this age group and every precaution should be taken to prevent an intensity growth and any enforcement of the training process. Furthermore, the experts recommend the optimal workloads фе the primary training stage being limited as follows: total time of the primary training sessions must not exceed 150-250 hours per year; with training frequency limited to 2-3 times per week and each session lasting for at most 60 to 80 minutes [4].

Educational survey reports show that most of the coaches actually act in compliance with the above recommendations. In addition, it was confirmed that the competitive event scheduling at the preparatory stage – for the 9-14 years old swimmers and track and field athletes, for instance – is basically designed to meet the requirements and limitations of the 1^st and 2^nd stages of the long-term training process standards in practice. The available reports were found to confirm that the theoretical provisions for the 1^st and 2^nd stages of the long-term training process design in cyclic sports have been implemented in practice by the relevant CIS sport specialists. Analysis and summaries of the best international training systems and practical experience give reasons to believe that some internationally accepted approaches to the long-term training process are fairly identical in fact [7, 9, 10].

As far as the long-term cyclic sport training process design in the special basic training stage is concerned, it should be noted that the main difference from the prior stages is that the training volumes (including the special training workloads) and participation in competitions will be increased in a phased manner; and more sophisticated designs will be applied in practices to provide for different systemic transformations. These changes will be governed by special goals of this training stage geared to: establish a foundation for a versatile fitness being shaped up; form fundamentals for special motor skills; improve the technical and tactical skills of the athlete; and identify the future specialization of the athlete. It should be noted in this context that many researches recommend breaking down this stage into the following two parts: part one will make an emphasis on the general conditioning and supplementary training basics; and part two will significantly expand the applied special training tools. Special attention in the special basic training stage will be given to duly individualized training approaches and information technology toolkit application in the process. The training process designers should also bear in mind that the age period of 14–17 years is commonly recognized being the most beneficial time for developing a few physical qualities dominated by speed and endurance.

Having analyzed the existing traditional approaches in the cyclic sport youth training systems, we would conclude that the coaching community quite often ignores the fundamental theoretical and methodological provisions regulating the 3^rd stage of the long-term training process design. Our experimental studies have found, among other things, that actual yearly training volumes (and first and foremost – volumes of special training practices) were 15–30% higher than the recommended ones; and the situation was further aggravated by the excessively intensive competitive practices focused on the maximum possible success in this premature training stage. Forced training of that kind drains the young athletes and gives them no way to obtain maximum benefit from accumulated resources in future.

Our analysis of the track records of football, basketball, volleyball and futsal players participating in the international competitions for the last 10–15 years shows that the modern technologies applicable in the long-term youth training systems in cyclic sport disciplines – have never been efficiently implemented in the team sport disciplines in fact, with the implementation attempts being reduced to formalistic and fragmented mimicking of some random elements of the systems with no consideration for specific needs of the team sport disciplines. Furthermore, the studies showed that the 1^st to 3^rd stages of the existing training systems applied in cyclic sports fail to take full advantage of the following best recommendations: avoid the training process being prematurely intensified; form a basis for a versatile sport fitness; apply only the age-period-specific optimal combinations of the special, special-preparatory and supplementary training practices; manage the game technique and tactics mastering process in an unforced manner; schedule the seasonal competitions in a most balanced format; apply only the physical loads prudently harmonized with the bodily abilities for the age group; avoid premature specialization of the young athletes; and give a due priority to the 3^rd stage individualized training approach in the long-term training process.

Conclusion

• The study has found that it is the cyclic sports that lead in applying the most efficient long-term training systems as compared to other sports. The above findings of the study gave us the reasons to outline and find ways for the long-term youth training systems applied in team sport disciplines being redesigned on an optimal basis, with due account of the best practical training experience accumulated by the cyclic sport disciplines.

• The study data and analysis have demonstrated that it is the modern cyclic sport training systems that tend to implement in practice – at the primary, preparatory and special basic training process stages – the theoretical and methodological provisions regulating the training process at these stages. Furthermore, the study has detected a few drawbacks in the existing training systems including the disposition to premature enforcement of the training process in the special basic training process stage, and the low efficiency of the information technology application attempts in the process.

• The comparative analysis under the study has shown that modern technologies applied in the long-term youth training systems in the cyclic sport disciplines – have never been efficiently implemented by the team sport coaches in fact, with the implementation attempts being reduced to formalistic and fragmented mimicking of some random elements of the systems with no consideration for the specific needs of the team sport disciplines. The study has found a few major omissions in the long-term youth training process design in team sports, including: premature intensification of the training process at every stage of the training period under the study; too heavy competitive schedules for the age groups; premature specialization of the young athletes; and virtually no provisions in place for efficient information technology application in the training process. At the same time, there are good reasons to expect that a reasonable adaptation and implementation of the practical training experience accumulated by the cyclic sport training systems may be beneficial for the efforts to bridge these gaps.

References

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Corresponding author: maksimenko_76@mail.ru

Abstract

On the basis of applied methods of theoretical analysis, synthesis and consolidation of information, teacher's observations, interviews and surveys specific aspects of training of young athletes in cyclic and team sports are presented in the paper. Shortcomings resulting in the inefficient long-term training of young athletes in competitive sports were detected. It was established that one of the main drawbacks is the intensification of the training process, contributing to premature depletion of resources of the body.