The Goals and Competences the Track and Field Coaches Have in View when Training Children

Abstract

This paper is an observational study conducted in December 2012 on 20 track and field coaches who train children. The research was based on a questionnaire comprising 8 items that tried to create a diagram of the coaches' conception in regards to their priorities during training. We used as research methods: the study of the professional literature, the questionnaire method, the statistical method, and the graphical representation method. The results have shown that out of the 20 coaches who were questioned, only 16 had 1 to 4 athletes participating in final competitions, meaning 36 athletes in total, and only 22 of those athletes ranked in the first 8 places (a reasonably good percentage). Fourteen of the questioned coaches put more emphasis on the learning of the performance technique, 9 of them on the ability to perceive the movement, 11 on the training disposition, 8 on the answer given to the request, 7 on the athletes respecting the performance request, 11 on achieving progress, and 12 on concentrating the athletes' attention, which shows that the training activity is focused on forming a correct performance technique. Also, the priority for 6 of the questioned coaches is to obtain high athletic results, 11 is the performance ability, 9 is the planned schedule, 12 is a continuous practice, 13 is attaining the perfect number of repetitions, for 9 is the development of psycho-motor skills, and for 8 is the athletes' participation in the training, which shows that one part of the coaches prioritizes the athletic results. Our two hypotheses were confirmed, in the sense that the coaches with good athletic results working with beginner athletes go through an instructive educational process based on the idea of forming athletic competencies by accentuating, in the children's training, the perception, disposition, the answer to the coach's request, respecting the request, progress, and concentration of attention, but also that the coaches who have in view the way in which the technique is performed during training have the best results in the competitions for beginner athletes.