Postgraduate student V.A. Litovchenko¹
PhD, Associate Professor D.A. Zubkov¹
PhD, Associate Professor T.V. Fendel^1
1Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture, Tchaikovsky

Keywords: sports cluster; physical education and sports university; ski jumping, Nordic combined, ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster.

Background. Sports clustering model for management efficiency is ranked among the most promising progress options for the national sports reserve training system [1, 3]. The core idea is to establish a few (4-5 at most) sports clusters in the Russian Federation geared to improve efficiency of the sports reserve training in specific sports disciplines. It should be noted that this model is being successfully tested in many foreign countries. It is logical to assume that such sports clusters should be established in the regions with the best conditions and opportunities (material assets, coaching teams, long-standing traditions etc.), provided they are fully supported by the local authorities.

Objective of the study was to rate benefits of a sports promotion project based on a sports clustering model for management efficiency.

Methods and structure of the study. Perm Territory offers extensive resource for the ski jumping and Nordic combined sports reserve training system improvement as it holds all the above system components. It was in the late 2017 that the Experimental and Innovative Physical Education and Sport Service Coordination Group of the Ministry of Sports approved an initiative to establish a Federal Experimental Site for “efficient ski jumping and Nordic combined sport reserve training in Perm Territory at Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture (TSIPC)" [2].

The ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster was ranked among the top priority innovative projects for the Perm Territory Federal Experimental Site. A sports cluster may be defined as the group of physical education and sports organizations within some territory including sports schools, advanced/ vocational/ academic physical education and sports educational establishments specializing in the human resource training for the national physical education and sports sector, research establishments, governmental agencies etc., with the relevant harmonized structure of the sport reserve training missions and responsibilities. Core goal of the sports clustering policy is to improve the sports reserve training system management efficiency by sharing the resources of  cluster organizations. The ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster was established at the Perm Territory physical education and sports based on the following prerequisites and considerations:

- The region holds the best ski jumping and Nordic combined sport assets in the Russian Federation, including many training centers, 9 municipal sports schools, 1 territorial sports school and 21 ski jumps;

- Whole range of ski jumps – short, medium, standard and long;

- Wide range of the modern vocational and academic physical education and sports educational establishments that offer high-quality training, retraining and advancement services at TSIPC, Perm Territory Olympic Reserve College etc.;

- High popularity of the Nordic combined and ski jumping sports in the Perm Territory, with the local sport elite reported at 550-600 athletes;

- Local sports research centers, including the Federal Experimental Site based Danilov Snezhinka Center with its research and medical unit that offers the cutting-edge theoretical and practical sport research, medical and rehabilitation services [2].

The Perm Territory government, based on the above prerequisites and considerations, made a decision to establish the ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster in 2018, with a special priority to the cluster organizations’ synergizing aspects. One of the first initiatives of the newly formed ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster was the ‘Sports – Way to Success’ Project supported by a grant of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. The core objective of the project is to improve the ski jumping and Nordic combined sports reserve training service by many target initiatives including “summer camp” trainings with master classes and direct coaching services from the leading national and international ski jumping and Nordic combined sport experts, with the trainings facilitated by the theoretical classes, leisure-time communication and education events.

Results and discussion. The summer training camp under the Project was held on June 10-22, 2019 with participation of a few Olympic champions and medalists including Maren Lundby, Robert Johansson, Johan Andre Forfang and Daniel-Andre Thandet who delivered master classes and reported their success stories and experiences to the Russian colleagues. The camp was visited by the leading foreign coaches including Norwegian national team coach Alex Shtokl; coaches Christian Meyer and Magnus Breivik; V.B. Issurin, Israeli professor, leading specialist in the sports training modules/ periods; and a few national experts in the sports anatomy, physiology, ski jumping sport biomechanics, anti-doping support, etc. who delivered lectures and master classes. Given in Table hereunder are some ‘Sports – Way to Success’ Project performance benchmarks.

Table 1. ‘Sports – Way to Success’ Project performance benchmarks

The athletes were offered the following services in the training camp:

- Theoretical and practical training events (lectures, sport quiz games etc.);

- Health events (quests, rope course, thematic exercises, outdoor games, etc.);

- Sport excellence trainings, including master classes from the leading foreign experts.

The camp services also included health/ training surveys and psychological tests: see Table 2.

Table 2. Athletes served by the health/ training survey and psychological test teams under the Sports – Way to Success’ Project

The coaches were timely informed on findings of the health/ training surveys and psychological tests to help them adjust the training systems when necessary. At the same time, the Project implementing team has spotted a few problems for the ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster in the legal and regulatory, financial, educational and information provisions for the sports cluster, and offered the following solutions for the problems:

- Develop a legal and regulatory framework to ensure due synergy of the cluster organizations, with a special priority to the legal provisions for the joint employment of their resource for the relevant scientific research and commercial projects;

- Make due financial provisions for the cluster organizations and their projects, including target sponsorships, subsidies, grants, etc., with a special support for the new training equipment and accessories procurement initiatives;

- Facilitate inflow of trained human resource to the cluster organizations and their projects from the following: extensive education programs of TSIPC and Perm Territory Olympic Reserve College; advanced training courses and internships for the national coaches including those at foreign training centers in Planica (Slovenia), Stams (Austria), Oberwiesenthal (Germany), etc.;

- R&D projects to expand the theoretical and practical support for the training and competitive progress systems; and

- Establish a regional coordinating body for the ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster that should facilitate is progress by, among other things, informational support for its projects; ideally such body may be established within the territorial physical education and sports management system of the Russian Federation.

Conclusion. The ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster Project has been appreciated by all the participating athletes, coaches, heads of sports schools and public organizations, foreign and Russian experts. The Project yielded good experience for the cluster organizations that may be beneficial for other sports.

References

1. Ananishnev V.V., Korepova V.V. Problems of formation of sports clusters in Russia. Klastery. Issledovaniya i razrabotki. 2016. no. 2. pp. 35-38.
2. Bekker A.A., Fendel T.V. Prospects and problems of federal experimental site “Design of effective model for training ski jumping and biathlon reserve in Perm Krai at the ChSIPhC. Vestnik sportivnogo rezerva. 2018. No. 7. pp. 46-49.
3. Vakalova L.G., Getman E.P., Voevodina S.S. Regional aspects of formation of Olympic cluster. Fizicheskaya kultura, sport – nauka i praktika. 2013. No. 2. pp. 44-50.

Corresponding author: gcon170@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to rate benefits of a sports promotion project based on a sports clustering model for management efficiency.

Methods and structure of the study. Perm Territory offers extensive resource for the ski jumping and Nordic combined sports reserve training system improvement as it holds all the above system components. It was in the late 2017 that the Experimental and Innovative Physical Education and Sport Service Coordination Group of the Ministry of Sports approved an initiative to establish a Federal Experimental Site for “efficient ski jumping and Nordic combined sport reserve training in Perm Territory at Tchaikovsky State Institute of Physical Culture (TSIPC)"

The ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster was ranked among the top priority innovative projects for the Perm Territory Federal Experimental Site. A sports cluster may be defined as the group of physical education and sports organizations within some territory including sports schools, advanced/ vocational/ academic physical education and sports educational establishments specializing in the human resource training for the national physical education and sports sector, research establishments, governmental agencies etc., with the relevant harmonized structure of the sport reserve training missions and responsibilities. Core goal of the sports clustering policy is to improve the sports reserve training system management efficiency by sharing the resources of  cluster organizations. The ski jumping and Nordic combined Sports Cluster was established at the Perm Territory physical education and sports

Results and conclusions. The project involved 128 athletes representing 11 constituent entities of the Russian Federation; 86 trainers underwent advanced training; Olympic champions and prize winners of the Olympic Games - Maren Lundby, Robert Johansson, Johann Andre Forfang, Daniel-Andre Tande held master classes and shared their experiences with the Russian colleagues; educational, training, health and developmental events were organized for the athletes; during the project implementation, medical and pedagogical observations and psychological diagnostics were carried out. The implementation of the project made it possible to identify and formulate problems of regulatory, financial, educational and informational nature that should be solved by organizations participating in the Perm Territory sports cluster in ski jumping and Nordic combined in terms of its further development.

Conclusions. The project "Sports – Way to Victory " is an effective and promising form of joint activity of organizations - participants of the sports cluster, which makes sense to implement it in other sports.