PhD, Associate Professor S.L. Ledentsova¹
L.A. Gorlova^2
1Surgut State University, Surgut
²Yugra-Sports Training Center, Surgut

Keywords: competitive mental fitness, egocentric disposition, dialogic disposition, neuroticism control project.

Corresponding author: leden-svet@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to test benefits of a new neuroticism control and mental conditioning project for underage figure skaters.

Methods and structure of the study. The new neuroticism control and mental conditioning project piloting experiment for the underage figure skaters was run at Titan Ice Sports Palace in Surgut. We sampled for the experiment the 8-9 year-old figure skaters (n=6) on requests from the families and coaches concerned by symptoms of neuroticism. We were governed by the known basic project design principles (objectivity, plotting, strategic mission, abstract-to-concrete progress, cooperation, etc.), with application of the following mental conditioning tools: (1) dialogic disposition development by imaginary conversations with spectators during the program; (2) motor skill excellence with a special emphasis on the movement semantics; (3) new motor skills mastering in the context of the program mission and semantics on the whole. Neurotic symptoms were tested by the pre- versus post-experimental tests using three-level criteria (1st - neurotic, 2nd - transitional and 3rd – mental fitness) to rate: (1) asthenic emotional/ somatic responses/ self-control; (2) excessive/ humble aspirations/ ambitions; (3) excessive/ low/ adequate self-esteem; (4) external / internal figure skating motivations; (5) distraction / attention focusing/ stress tolerance; (6) involuntary/ controllable behavior; and (7) egocentric disposition / dialogic disposition in the figure skating program execution. Benefits of the neuroticism control project were rated by the progress tests.

Results and discussion. The neuroticism control and mental conditioning project for underage figure skaters was found beneficial in the following aspects: (1) anxiety control; (2) normalized self-esteem and aspirations; (3) increased internal figure skating motivations; (4) increased stress tolerance; (5) improved success motivations; and (6) mental shift to a dialogue with a spectator.

Background. Figure skating is ranked among the most beautiful sports with its popularity growing the world over to greatly encourage the children's engagement since three years of age. The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Yugra Territory takes pride in its great sports infrastructure and potential with special progress opportunities for youth figure skating, and with the local figure skating sports community giving a special priority to the competitive mental conditioning methods critical for success.

Competitive mental fitness may be defined as the special determined mindset with the athlete fully mobilized for success in the following aspects: (1) informed confidence in the own skills and performance, plus knowledge of the opposition and competitive settings; (2) high success motivations; (3) good mental/ emotional controls; (4) high stress tolerance; and (5) high controllability of the actions and feelings.

One of the key prerequisites for a good mental fitness is the encouraging effect of own competitive accomplishments, although modern high-coordination-intensive figure skating sport requires long-term hard trainings for progress and success. It should be noted that the mental conditioning process may be complicated by the premature expectations of and pressure from the families and coaches; inappropriate competitive mental conditioning methods and tools; and still limited individual mental control toolkits in disposal of the underage skaters. These factors may provoke neuroticism manifested in the fear of responsibility under pressure from a respected adult(s); excessive expectations of the surrounding; egocentric disposition detrimental to focus on the competitive performance, and asthenic emotional/ somatic responses to successes and failures associated with losses of interest in sport up to retirements from figure skating.

The neuroticism-related competitive unfitness in the underage figure skating sport should be controlled by due psychological support service based on the planned/ staged motor skill building theory by P.Y. Galperin, plus the N.A. Bernstein’s paradox of "repetition-free repetition" in the figure skating skills training projects [1, 2, 6].

Objective of the study was to test benefits of a new neuroticism control and mental conditioning project for underage figure skaters.

Methods and structure of the study. The new neuroticism control and mental conditioning project piloting experiment for the underage figure skaters was run at Titan Ice Sports Palace in Surgut. We sampled for the experiment the 8-9 year-old figure skaters (n=6) on requests from the families and coaches concerned by symptoms of neuroticism. We were governed by the known basic project design principles (objectivity, plotting, strategic mission, abstract-to-concrete progress, cooperation, etc.), with application of the following mental conditioning tools: (1) dialogic disposition development by imaginary conversations with spectators during the program; (2) motor skill excellence with a special emphasis on the movement semantics; (3) new motor skills mastering in the context of the program mission and semantics on the whole [3-6].

Neurotic symptoms were tested by the pre- versus post-experimental tests using three-level criteria (1st - neurotic, 2nd - transitional and 3rd – mental fitness) to rate: (1) asthenic emotional/ somatic responses/ self-control; (2) excessive/ humble aspirations/ ambitions; (3) excessive/ low/ adequate self-esteem; (4) external / internal figure skating motivations; (5) distraction / attention focusing/ stress tolerance; (6) involuntary/ controllable behaviors; and (7) egocentric disposition / dialogic disposition in the figure skating program execution. Benefits of the neuroticism control project were rated by the progress tests.

The pre- and post-experimental tests were the following: unfinished sentences test; training/ competitive performance rating expert observations; A.I. Zakharova Child Neurosis questionnaire survey; L. Sobchik ITDO; "Life Line" by A.A. Kronik; "Family Relationship Analysis" by E.G. Eidemiller; “Self-esteem test method” by Dembo-Rubinstein; "Drawn apperception test" by G. Murray; Rosenzweig Frustration test (children's version); and "Athletic Progress Diary" of our own design. The test data were processed by a standard mathematical toolkit with the Fisher test.

Results and discussion. The pre-experimental tests found symptoms of neuroticism in every subject, with 84% of the sample tested with high anxiety and high aspirations, and 50% tested with compensatory high self-esteem: see Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1.  Pre- versus post-experimental neuroticism tests of the sample, %

Such test data may be interpreted as indicative of the excessive pressure of success expectations from families and coaches on the children. The premature excessive success expectations were found to depress the underage athletes and undermine their self-esteem – as verified by the external success motivations tested in 84% of the sample. The young athletes were tested driven by the pressures from the parenting system with its praises and punishments rather than the skating progress as such; with the sports career considered a core of the family communication – important on the one hand and unloved on the other and, hence, largely hampering the training and competitive progress.

The pre-experimental attention control, stress tolerance and determination test data were paradoxical in the sense that they found high abstraction in training and competitive process in 68% of the sample versus the high (84%) and very high (16%) figure skating motivations – that means that the sport is no more a core driving force for the children. Moreover, 68% of the sample was tested with a competitive abstraction, with the children matching themselves with the rivals in a highly critical manner, i.e. rating themselves from the respected adults’ point of view. This appeared to be the prime reason for abstraction from active determination to aside viewer’s position, with the movements being automated, inhibited and constrained at sacrifice for harmony and integrity of the skating program, and with the total abstraction from a dialogue with spectator.

The post-experimental tests found a significant progress in the neuroticism control and competitive mental fitness aspects as verified by the Fisher’s φ* criterion (see Table 1). Thus 68% of the sample was tested with the anxiety falls from the high to moderate level and even leveled down in 16% of the sample. The premature (age- and skill-unmatched) aspirations were tested falling back to normal in 68% of the sample. Self-esteem was tested to fall to more realistic levels in 16% and to the norm in 68% of the sample. The figure skating motivations were found to become more personal/ internal progress driven in 68% of the sample. Stress tolerance was tested to grow to the medium and high levels in 68% and 32% of the sample, respectively; and the success motivations were found to improve in 84% of the sample. Decentration was found to change to moderate (84%) and high (16%) – that may be interpreted as indicative of the better dialogue with spectator in the efforts to deliver the message of the skating program.

Conclusion. The pre- versus post-experimental test data demonstrated benefits of the new neuroticism control and mental conditioning project for the underage figure skaters. The project facilitated a shift from formal and isolated training of elements to determined skill building in harmony with the skating program semantics and mission with a special priority to a dialogue with the spectator using the skating body language; and with the mission of the skating program achieved by its semantics shaped up in the skating "form" with its strategy, techniques and tactics. When the skating program is well harmonized in its every element, its “form will go beyond the content” as stated by L.S. Vygotsky to make the program an artistic masterpiece and facilitate the skater’s neurotic centering on the own self being transformed into a dialogue with the spectator – as one of the key indications of due competitive mental fitness.

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