The current state and issues of preparation of an athletic reserve (based on the sociological research)

Aim. The article deals with the analysis of the current state and issues of training sports reserve in track and field. Materials and methods. A questionnaire consisting of 12 questions and 57 subquestions of open-ended, close-ended and multiple choice types was developed. The questionnaire-based survey was carried out among Russian and Chinese coaches (n = 161) aged 20-72 years including Honored coaches of the Russian Federation (n = 7) and elite coaches (n = 38). Results. The questionnaire-based survey for coaches demonstrated that they worried about: declining popularity of track-and-field compared to other sports; early specialization and related risks; low qualification of coaches working with children and teenagers. Respondents pay special attention to negative consequences of early specialization such as early retirement from sport, loss of promising athletes; short career in elite sports; growing number of sports-related injuries in young athletes. According to coaches, the main factors contributing to early specialization are the following: a) specialized training, which results in a rapid growth of sport results; b) achievements in sports are so high that a coach has to search for sports reserve among children. According to the respondents, young athletes should participate in competitions to learn how to overcome themselves and accumulate competitive experience. The majority of respondents think that integrated training in track-and-field is one of the important factors of successful career. Conclusion. A social survey of coaches has revealed peculiarities and issues typical for training sports reserve in track-and-field, which have to be considered and resolved.