Educational, socializing and preventive health effects of the sport-contesting activity in childhood

Сажетак: Циљ представљеног истраживања, реализованог у гимнастичким клубовима „ Юначе “ у Бугарској, је утврђивање образовних, друштвених и превентивних здравствених ефеката спортско-такмичарске активности. Предмет студије су ученици од I до IV разреда, који су чланови гимнастичких клубова „ Юначе “, њихови учитељи и родитељи. Предмет студије су такође образовни и друштвени ефекти као резултати активности у гимнастичким клубовима.

Кључне речи: Олимпијско образовање, гимнастички клубови, ученици, спортска такмичења

1.    INTRODUCTION1

In this research we are exploring some of the basic educa^onal, socializing and preven^ve health effects of the sport-contes^ng ac^vity of children and especially of students from I to IV grade.

At school age the sport-contest ac^vity is of significant importance. Its meaning is important for the regular sport exercising and for the development of the ambi^on to be achieved competent skills. The sport compe^^on, the contest is a forum, where the par^cipants test themselves, place new goals, follow them, and then again test themselves. The contest observes criteria for achievements and performance, which appear important for the sport and for the life. In considera^on the ambi^on of the compe^tors to meet the above criteria we have to underline that the contest is almost never focused on other compe^tor or team. This is a contest with oneself, trying to surpass objec^ve criteria for achievement. Another important element of the contest is the rivalry. In sport exist many different kinds of rivalry: individual against (other) individual; team aga inst team; individual against the clock or against some other objec^ve criterion [1].

The contest as a phenomenon with the envisaged compe^^ve stress in it has a posi^ve influence in the subsequent professional realiza^on as it “s^mulates the development of a common strategy for coping with the di^cul^es“ [2]. Interpreted in such a way, the contest is a serious educa^onal factor and prepares the par^cipants for the life. It is also a factor for development of the system of values for the rising genera^on and factor for overcoming the isola^on and developing social integra^on. There are tradi^ons within the system of the Bulgarian school educa^on for realiza^on of sport events.

They comprise the subjects, envisaged in the curricula as well as programs for the different classes and educa^onal degrees. The students have opportunity to “assess“ their knowledge and skills in contests of various nature – school, municipal, regional, na^onal and interna^onal. Students’ games are realized for revealing the skills and capabili^es of the student in the field of Sport. They are included into the na^onal sport calendar of the Minister of educa^on and science.

For each school year is made individual calendar. The students are divided in three age groups: V-VII class; VIIIX class and XI-XII class. The included sports are: basketball, volleyball, handball, football, table tennis, badminton, athle^cs, and chess.

1 Paper was presented at the Conference "Sport, Health, Environment", October 31, 2015 in Belgrade.

Ina Vladova

Within the school are created favourable condi^ons for the students to prac^ce sport and to voluntary engage in organized forms of sports compe^^on.

For the youngest students (I – IV class), there is a calendar of the sports compe^^ons in school disciplines set in the curriculum for the respec^ve class.

It strikes that sport contests are not envisaged. The subject “Physical educa^on and sport” is not included into this contest calendar. The students from school are deprived from official sport-contes^ng ac^vi^es.

It has to be considered the fact that because of the social-economic processes in the country the exercising of sport became “ac^vity for the elite“, many children do not exercise sport put of school and the hours on PES and actually they don’t have opportunity to par^cipate in contests since early age [3,4].

The lack of unified sport calendar according the curriculum of the school physical educa^on and sport for the above age group and in the calendar of the sport federa^ons appear nega^ve factor in the modern system of the sport for children and youngsters in Bulgaria.

This was no^ced by the managing Board of the Union of Bulgarian gymnas^c associa^ons “Yunak“. The associa^ons make efforts for overcoming the nega^ve trend as they “revive“ the heroic conven^ons amongst the “unoccupied gap“ – the gap of the student’s sport at the ini^al stage of the primary educa^onal degree. In order to escape from this vacuum – exercising sport by the youngest students and their par^cipa^on at official contests, events of sport and cultural nature, the Union “Yunak“ started to realize its sport-pedagogical ac^vity. The union develops a program for accustoming in love and affilia^on to the sport; joy of the systema^c ac^vity with sport; provoking interest of the children to physical ac^vity; raising and making more various the opportuni^es for par^cipa^ons in different kinds of sport during the leisure ^me, for their physical, moral and intellectual development, strengthening the health and making the organism of the child more healthy by establishing of hygienic habits.

There is training for teachers who shall realize this ac^vity and shall educate the children to adhere to the heroic and Olympic values and ideals. Exactly the sport pedagogues need to encourage the young students to par^cipa^on (in sport events) and good performance. The teachers need to develop from an early age this ambi^on. The victory should not be an absolute aim. It is necessary for the above teachers to focus on the progress of each student and the efforts, made for the la^er. T he result is not of so big importance. The students have to be educated from an early age to be sportsmen and to respect the fair play.

Educa^onal, socializing and preven^ve health effects

The aim of the present research is to be determined the educa^onal, socializing and preven^ve health effects of the sport-contes^ng ac^vity, realized in the clubs “Yunache“.

These gymnas^cs clubs were established at the respec^ve schools and since 1996 became members within the structure of the Union of the Bulgarian Gymnas^cs Socie^es “Yunak“. These clubs organize ac^vi^es during the school year.

At the final stage there is a conven^on, during which the children demonstrate their knowledge and skills in contes^ng condi^ons. In the clubs is realized Olympic educa^on.

Subject of research appear students from I to IV grade, members of the clubs.

2.    RESEARCH METHODS

For the needs of the research and outlining the educa^onal, socializing, and preven^ve health effects of compe^^ve sport ac^vi^es in childhood, we implemented field observa^ons, interviews, and inquiry with ques^onnaires specially developed for:

• § the teachers, working under the innova^ve methodology for Olympic educa^on, which is applied in the gymnas^c clubs “Yunache“ and who have taken par^cipa^on with teams on the Jubilee X na^onal Olympic conven^on for children “Yunache“, held on 1-2 June 2014 in Lyaskovetc;

3.    RESULTS

§ current and former par^cipants in the compe^^on ac^vi^es of the spor^ve fes^vals.

We ascertained from the terrain observa^ons during the Jubilee Olympic conven^on for children and the discussions with the children that the adherence to the Olympic symbols and rituals, envisaged in the conduc^on of the na^onal Olympic conven^ons for children “Yunache” influence significantly the children as far as the educa^on is concerned. The children are very proud and excited to par^cipate at the conven^on. They feel that they belong to a special community – the club “Yunache“; they feel grateful to the previous genera^ons; they have na^onal iden^ty; their contest spirit is encouraged; they have s^mulus to proceed with exercising sport ac^vely and in a organized way; they develop their crea^onal skills and the knowledge about the history of the Bulgarian sport and the Olympic movement.

The target group has influences in a posi^ve way: con^nuous habits are established at an early student age for: sport for health, for physical and construc^ve development; ambi^on for individual and collec^ve appearance; skills are developed to lose and to win; hygienic and esthe^cal habits are formed; it is worked for

Ina Vladova forming a discipline, responsibility in the pursuance of individual and collec^ve tasks; the students are educated to be grateful and respec^ul to the teacher/couch/school and to be proud from belonging to the certain community and not on the last place - the students are educated to be grateful to the previous genera^ons and to respect the efforts of the others.

The students, who par^cipate in contests influence on their classmates, who don’t par^cipate in such events, in an educa^onal way. By their personal example they mo^vate their classmates to exercise sport.

We argument the sugges^on that younger students need opportuni^es for showing off with the fact that over half (52.6%) of the interviewed children answered to the ques^on for students from III and IV class “Why do you like to par^cipate in the ac^vi^es of the club Yunache?” that the possibility to par^cipate in a compe^^on is the mo^ve to like membership in the clubs. In a on-line inquiry of former members of these clubs (n=33), 70% of the respondents answered to the same ques^on that they liked the opportunity to take part in a compe^^on.

Almost all of the respondents, i.e. 88% the interviewed former members of the “Yunache“clubs, believe that due to their par^cipa^on in such fes^vals they have learned how to win and loose since childhood age. Development of compe^^ve spirit and skills to par^cipate in such ac^vi^es on the one hand has a posi^ve effect on the development of the personality of the children and on the other hand educates them in the Olympic spirit. By an early involvement in sports and compe^^on ac^vi^es the students acquire valuable and useful personal quali^es.

The Olympic Fes^vals for Children “Yunache” are organized in different towns of the country. Thus the younger students have the opportunity to visit new places and to discover the landmarks of the host city.

Results based on the answers to the ques^onnaire for teachers show that:

• §    par^cipa^on in sports-compe^^ve events has a strong mo^va^ng impact on the students;

• §    increased interest in sports and in the mo^va^on in engagement in sports;

• §    enhancement of the mo^va^on of the students to learning (compared to their non-par^cipa^ng peers).

4.    CONCLUSIONS

According to expert opinion of teachers the students improve their personal and communica^on skills; enlarge their circle of friends; they appreciate highly their value system. As a result of the educa^onal impact and the par^cipa^on of the planned ac^vi^es the students managed, at rela^vely high degree, to observe a healthy

Датум пријема чланка: 19.10.2015.

Датум прихватања чланка: 17.11.2015.

Educa^onal, socializing and preven^ve health effects lifestyle; to improve greatly their physical development; improved body posture is observed and in some cases a reduc^on of body weight is found.

In the ques^onnaire, especially developed for the teachers we placed a ques^on, concerning the students in disadvantaged posi^on. We wanted to know whether these children feel comfortable during the conven^ons and whether the par^cipa^on in them helps the children as regards their par^cipa^on in the social community. According to the data from the answers of the children they do feel comfortable. The conven^ons caused posi^ve affect on the children in disadvantaged posi^on and at the same ^me such par^cipa^on helps for their social par^cipa^on.

The Olympic conven^ons for children are conducted in adherence to the Olympic principles. Thus the conven^ons become a sport and art fests; a mo^ve for future sport ac^vity; a reason for ac^ve sport exercising. For enhancing the sport atmosphere respec^ve rituals are envisaged at the ceremony for opening and closing of the conven^on.

For the children at this age it is important to be no^ced and rewarded for their achievements. From instruc^ve point of view this is very important for the improvement of their mo^va^on to perform the respec^ve ac^vity and in par^cular sports. During a spor^ng compe^^on could be achieved that very objec^ve.

These results emphasize on the need of unified sport calendar and the opportunity for the students to have chance to par^cipate in sport ac^vi^es since the ini^al stage of the primary educa^onal degree.