A study regarding the opinion of Romanian athletics specialists on the predictive factors of performance at the secondary selection stage (promotion to advanced groups)

Authors: Alina Ionela Predescu, Liliana Mihăilescu

Affiliation

Doctoral School of Sport Science and Physical Education, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica București, University Center of Pitești, Romania

Abstract

Background. The multistage process of sports selection must permanently aim at the development of innate potential of each athlete, in accordance with the characteristics of age and maturation. This process must be conducted through regular testing and assessments and it depends on the decisions made regarding this evaluations. Many studies have shown that the population of top senior athletes appears in the course of repeated selection, deselection and replacements in all age stages rather than developing from those early selected. The main decision-making role in the selection process belongs to coaches.

Aims. This study aimed to investigate the opinion of Romanian athletics’ coaches regarding the predictive factors of performance. It also included their selection practices in order to obtain an objective image of the current national context of secondary selection and specialization in athletic events.

Methods. The study was conducted on a number of 35 Romanian athletics coaches involved in the training of athletes specialized in sprinting-hurdling-jumping events, with experience in the competitive activity at national and/or international level. We developed an electronic questionnaire based on 22 questions aimed to collect personal and specific information.

Results. We found discrepancies between the predictive factors considered important for sprinting-hurdling-jumping events specialization and the tests and assessments used in second selection practice.

Conclusions. The opinion of the Romanian athletics specialists is correct from a theoretical point of view, but their practical activity does not always correspond with their opinion, which results in a deficient selection that does not comply with the particularities of the requirements of the athletics events targeted in the research.

 

Keywords: sports performance, predictive factors, selection.

 

06-predescu196-201

A study regarding the opinion of Romanian athletics specialists on the predictive factors of performance at the secondary selection stage (promotion to advanced groups)

https://doi.org/10.26659/pm3.2023.24.4.196