Using Motor Skills Tests in the Selection of Women Gymnasts for Learning the “Forward Danilova” on Beam

Abstract

Artistic gymnastics is such a spectacular sport due to the strength and elegance of women gymnasts, as well as to the difficulty of exercises they perform. Gymnastics has seen a considerable rise over the years. We can appreciate that technical level has reached now its upper limit, for example the execution correctness and the complexity of artistic level are the most important methods that may difference between two gymnasts equal in terms of technical performance. The learning of any element, in our case the “Free (aerial) forward walkover, landing on one foot”, Forward Danilova on beam, must be preceded by verification of the motor skills that condition the execution. Any aimed improvement will gradually lead to independent and creative execution of the element and whole exercises. In this research, motor skills tests were used to evaluate certain components of coordination ability, considered fundamental in the learning of any element, and results were applied to select the 6 gymnasts who accomplished the program for learning the “Free (aerial) walkover forward, landing on one foot”. Also, results of the following motor skills tests: Balance rail, Bass test, Fukuda test, Miron Georgescu test demonstrated that the different levels of motor skills of women gymnasts put their mark on learning of the technical element studied.

Keywords: Artistic gymnastics, motor skills tests, balance beam

Introduction

Analysis of major competitions in recent years highlights that women’s artistic gymnastics is

developing continuously, especially in terms of increasing difficulty, complexity and vision it

exercises, while perfecting the art and skill of execution. In artistic gymnastics, the learning of any

technical element is carried out based on a physical support that includes the integration of specific

motor skills and involves the identification of specific technical elements addressed (amplitude, muscle

strength or power, orientation in space, balance). There are also more specific analyses which can be

used as a guide (Dragnea, 1996; Tudor, 2005).

Using the experience gained in 15 years of activity as a high performance gymnast, I want to

underline that the coach should choose for the gymnast a learning element according to his/her

technical knowledge, motor abilities, personal characteristics (the level of fear when starting with a

new element) and morphological characteristics (we choose such elements which biomechanically

better suit to morphological characteristics of gymnasts). Evaluative processes used offer milestones

for control and are designed to ensure maximum effectiveness to training system, both in terms of

directing and especially operating in perspective (Tudor, 2005).

of the researchis that using the motor skills tests in the selection of women

gymnasts shortens the time affected for learning the “Forward Danilova” on balance beam and

provides appropriate gymnasts for learning it.

Materials and methods

This part of the research involved the following motor skills tests:Balance rail, Bass test, Fukuda

test, Miron Georgescu test,and was applied to assess some parts of coordination ability and to select

the 6 gymnasts of 12, who were to accomplish the algorithmic program for learning the “Forward

Danilova” on balance beam.

Results

In the selection of gymnasts for applying the experiment variable, namely the algorithmic learning

program for the “Forward Danilova” on balance beam, four motor skills tests were applied in order to

assess the motor potential of the gymnasts. The first test we have applied is Balance rail (Table 1).

The 6 gymnasts who have exceeded the average of 16"68 are:25"32,17"25,30"18,

27"35,29"30,25"15(Fig. 1).

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The time maintained in each circle at the dynamic balance test - Bass test is specified in Table 2.

Gymnasts who have achieved the requirements are presented in Table 3 and Figure 2.

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Fukuda test results are shown in Table 4.

M.A., C.I., Z.S., B.A., S.A. and R.M. recorded the highest number of steps at Fukuda test (Fig. 3).

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Miron Georgescu results are shown in Tables 5 and 6.

Gymnasts who had the best height during stripping and the best time contact with the ground are:

M.A., C.I., Z.S., B.A., S.A. and R.M.

To verify the usefulness of the chosen tests and the influence of the main motor skills during the

learning process of the element studied, we divided the gymnasts into two groups of 6 and submitted

them to a test which consisted in inclusion of the Forward Danilova in the execution of the full

exercise. The differences and the score achieved in the 4 tests are shown in Table 7.

The first group consisted of gymnasts who, after testing, occupied positions 1-6, and the execution

penalties were between 0.05-0.35 points. The second group had the gymnasts from positions 6-12, and

the execution penalties were between 0.40-0.65 points.

Conclusions

The results of motor skills tests intended to evaluate certain components of coordination ability:

Balance rail, Bass test, Fukuda test, Miron Georgescu test,considered fundamental in learning,

demonstrated that the different levels of motor skills in women gymnasts put their mark on the learning

of “Free (aerial) forward walkover,landing on one foot” (Forward Danilova) on beam.

Analysing results in Table 7 and through the correlation coefficient (Table 8) presented above, we

find that M.A., C.I., Z.S., S.A., R.M. and P.A. are gymnasts who have achieved the best six scores in at least three tests applied. These gymnasts showed a high motor potential and recorded the best results in the tests designed to assess the quality of execution of the element we have studied.

References

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