EFFECTIVENESS OF THEORETICAL TRAINING OF KAYAKERS AT THE STAGE OF SPECIALIZED BASIC TRAINING

Abstract

Theoretical training at the stage of specialized basic training should ensure not only the acquisition of specialized knowledge but also its transfer into athletes’ technical, tactical, and organizational decision-making. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of theoretical training of kayakers at the stage of specialized basic training. Research methods: analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical testing, pedagogical experiment, and methods of mathematical statistics. The study involved 40 athletes specializing in kayaking who were at the stage of specialized basic training (mean age: 14.25±0.65 years). The participants were divided into two groups of 20 athletes each: the main group and the comparison group. The pedagogical experiment lasted 12 weeks. Results: the developed experimental program was characterized by its comprehensive and systematic nature and by the direct integration of theoretical instruction with practical sports activities. Its content was structured into seven interrelated areas: knowledge of competition rules and regulations; rowing technique and biomechanics; race-distance tactics; training planning and self-monitoring; biomedical foundations and recovery; water safety, first aid, and anti-doping provision; and equipment-related knowledge and digital analysis. The program was implemented over 12 weeks and included 24 theoretical and practical sessions. The greatest relative improvements in the main group were observed in the following components: knowledge of training planning and self-monitoring increased by 74.7%, knowledge of rowing technique and biomechanics by 73.8%, biomedical foundations and recovery by 72.8%, knowledge of competition rules and regulations by 72.3%, and equipment-related knowledge and digital analysis by 71.9%. Tactical preparedness increased by 61.7%, while knowledge of water safety, first aid, and anti-doping provision increased by 54.4%. At the end of the intervention cycle, between-group differences in the integral indicator of theoretical preparedness were statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusions: the purposeful organization of theoretical training through systematic theoretical and practical micro-modules, problem- and situation-based learning, video analysis, digital tools, self-monitoring, reflection, and the direct transfer of acquired knowledge into training activities has considerably greater potential for developing specialized knowledge among kayakers compared with the traditional approach. The findings confirm the expediency of a purposeful, systematic, and practice-oriented organization of theoretical training for kayakers at the stage of specialized basic training.