PhD, Associate Professor L.M. Bezhentseva
National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk

Keywords: rhythmic gymnastics, motor qualities (MQ), junior athletes, theoretical and practical training, group practices.

Background. Presently the research community is far from agreement on the ideal theoretically grounded recommendations on what age is the best for progress in the group rhythmic gymnastics. Many authors acknowledge benefits of the traditional beginner training systems with the primary all-round physicality and skills formed by individual trainings with/ without apparatuses; with no group exercises recommended for the age group.  Group rhythmic gymnastics events are ranked among the most popular, spectacular and difficult gymnastics disciplines being specific and challenging in the following aspects:

– Group rhythmic gymnastics routines are performed by 5 gymnasts;

– Group routines take twice more time than the individual ones; and

– Group rhythmic gymnastics techniques are highly versatile.

Competitors in the group rhythmic gymnastics events must be perfect not only in the individual execution and artistry but also impeccable in synchrony and controlled asynchrony in every tossing, catching, rolling and other movement with/ without apparatuses. Presently the research community is far from agreement on the ideal theoretically grounded recommendations on what age is the best for progress in the group rhythmic gymnastics. Some authors (L.A. Karpenko [1, 2], L.A. Pakhomova, E.S. Nikolaev [4, 5]) acknowledge benefits of the traditional beginner training systems with the primary all-round physicality and skills formed by the individual trainings with/ without apparatuses. with no group exercises recommended for the age group. The opinion is supported by some Ukrainian experts including T.N. Nesterova [3] who recommends movement synchronizing and motor skills excellence trainings starting not sooner than since 12-14 years of age – at the advanced excellence training stage. Some Bulgarian experts have provided sound theoretical grounds for the couple/ group training models for the beginner group motor qualities advancing purposes. And a Spanish trainer recommends a few apparatus control techniques being mastered prior to the children’s group execution and synch training elements. Our analysis of the other practical recommendations and available theoretical and practical literature on the subject has failed to find a common grounded opinion of the expert community on when and how the beginner rhythmic gymnasts should start mastering the group execution basics.

Objective of the study was to test benefits of a new special physical training method for the beginner group rhythmic gymnastics.

Methods and structure of the study. The training method was tested in 2017-18 school year at the Y. Kuznetsov Children and Youth Olympic Reserve Sports School (CYORSS) in Seversk, with the 7-8 year old beginner gymnasts (n=30) sampled for the study and split up into Experimental and Reference Groups (EG, RG) of 15 girls each. The Reference Group training process was traditional, whilst the Experimental Group trainings were dominated by the special physical training method to master the key motor skills, teamwork and develop the sport-specific physical qualities.

Results and discussion. The pre-experimental tests found most (60%) of the sample unfit for the coordination-, strength- and speed-strength intensive practices. We used the prior test data and our practical experience to develop and pilot a special physical training model for the beginner group rhythmic gymnasts dominated by the techniques mastering elements with/ without apparatus within a few basic exchange and collaboration patterns and with a special emphasis on the individual motor skills excellence. Every gymnast was expected to progress in the individual motor skills at no sacrifice for the group synchrony. On the whole, the beginner group theoretical and practical training was dominated by the combined with/ without apparatus motor skills trainings with group synch basics. A special priority in the trainings was given to the following group elements:

• Special exchange/ tossing difficulty elements;
• Exchange-free difficulty elements i.e. the individual motor skills;
• Collaboration elements with apparatuses: tossing, rolling, exchanges;
• Collaboration elements without apparatuses: contact and contactless elements, apparatus manipulation risks;
• Mastery elements: special tossing and catching practices;
• Mixed difficulty elements: exchange and exchange-free risks.

The new special physical training method for the beginner group rhythmic gymnastics was based on the following key practical provisions:

• The beginner trainings at the warm-up training stage were run with apparatuses;
• Every element for the whole training session was executed simultaneously and in synch;
• Groups were formed of gymnasts closely matching in the technical and physical skills, anthropometrics, morphology, functionality test rates, and the basic teamwork qualities; and
• Apparatus manipulation and flexibility elements were mastered on a combined basis as the key elements for the group competitive success.

The theoretical and practical training process of the EG was designed to include a few training modules. The special physical practices were dominated by the group motor skill trainings to secure progress in exchanges, collaborations and synchronized choreography elements of special importance for the group routines, with trainings in couples, triples and fours.

Such training tools plus the individual technical trainings to master and excel specific elements made it possible to effectively expand the motor toolkits of the gymnasts, improve the handwork and excel the techniques.

Table 1. Pre- versus post-experimental motor qualities test data: RG (n=15) versus EG (n=15),  

Conclusion. The experimental method was tested beneficial for the beginner group rhythmic gymnasts’ theoretical and practical training system as verified by the Experimental Group versus Reference Group physical progress and motor skills tests.

References

1. Zagrevskiy O.I., Beznosikova E.V. Junior rhythmic gymnasts' jumping ability progress tests. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2017. no. 4. ppp. 86-88.
2. Karpenko  L.A. Rhythmic gymnastics. М.: Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics publ., 2003. 382 p.
3. Nesterova  T.V. Technical training in rhythmic gymnastics group exercises: Guidelines. Kiev: UGUFVS publ., 1995. 54 p.
4. Pakhomova L.A., Nikolaeva E.S. Methods of training junior  rhythmic gymnasts to perform exercises with accessories.  Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka. 2006. no. 5. pp. З0-32.

Corresponding author: delja3@yandex.ru

Abstract

Presently the research community is far from agreement on the ideal theoretically grounded recommendations on what age is the best for progress in the group rhythmic gymnastics. Many authors acknowledge benefits of the traditional beginner training system with the primary all-round physicality and skills formed by individual trainings with/ without apparatuses; with no group exercises recommended for the age group. Objective of the study was to test benefits of a new special physical training method for beginner group rhythmic gymnastics. The training method was tested in 2017-18 school year at the Y. Kuznetsov CYORSS in Seversk, with the 7-8 year old beginner female gymnasts (n=30) sampled for the study and split up into Experimental and Reference Groups (EG, RG) of 15 people each. The Reference Group training process was traditional, whilst the Experimental Group trainings were dominated by the special physical training method to master the key motor skills and develop the sport-specific physical qualities. The experimental method was tested beneficial as verified by the Experimental Group versus Reference Group physical progress and skills tests.