FACTOR ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES IN BEGINNER-LEVEL TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES
Keywords:
physical attributes, psychological qualities, factor analysis, track and field athletes, initial stageAbstract
Play-based activities play a very important role in track and field training, especially for children and adolescents. They make training sessions more interesting, motivating, and effective, while also helping athletes master basic motor skills. Through play, students imperceptibly develop physical qualities such as speed, endurance, strength, and coordination. Furthermore, it combines physical development with an emotional experience, leading to better results and a more lasting retention of knowledge and skills.
In this study, factor analysis is used to identify the components that determine a particular process, and to explore and delve into the depths of the complex phenomenon under investigation, which is an effective feature of scientific research.
The aim of this study is to identify the rotated matrix and highlight the most significant components of physical and mental qualities in novice track and field athletes through the use of game-based activities.
The following objectives have been set to achieve the study’s goal:
1. To identify and analyze the most significant factors influencing the physical and mental qualities of young track and field athletes.
2. To determine the explained variance of all identified factors related to physical and mental qualities in the two study samples.
The experiment focuses on the physical and mental qualities of young track and field athletes.
The study examines the effectiveness of a track and field training program developed through game-based activities for young track and field athletes.
The sports-pedagogical experiment involved 48 track and field athletes aged 9–10, divided equally into each study group—24 in each. The experimental group consists of 24 boys and girls from SKLA “Dobrich” in the city of Dobrich, who participate in a specialized track and field training program using game-based activities. The control group consists of 24 boys and girls from the same track and field club, but they follow a standardized training program. The study was conducted in 2022–2023.
In conclusion:
1. At the beginning of the experiment, the rotated matrices for both study groups included a total of six factors. By the end of the study, the components in the experimental group had increased to seven, while those in the control group remained the same.
2. The specialized track and field training program using a game-based approach, which the experimental group followed, contributed to a higher final percentage of explained variance, in contrast to the lower percentage observed in the control group.
3. The “Physical” factor ranks first in both the experimental and control groups, indicating that technical elements are of particular importance in track and field.
4. The “psychological” component ranks as the second factor in the experimental group and the third factor in the control group.
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