Postgraduate student T.A. Shakarov¹
Dr. Hab., Professor V.P. Guba^{1, 2}
Dr. Hab., Associate Professor A.V. Rodin^1
1Smolensk State University of Sports, Smolensk
²The Russian University of Sport «GTSOLIFK», Moscow

Keywords: initial training, hockey, children aged 6–8 years, game method, motivation, interest in training, coordination abilities, pedagogical experiment.

Objective of the study. To determine the influence of using specialized game means on the level of interest in training sessions and the development of basic coordination abilities in children aged 6–8 years involved in hockey at the initial training stage.

Methodology and organization of the study. The pedagogical experiment was conducted with the participation of children aged 6–8 years involved in hockey at the initial training stage. An experimental group and a control group were formed, differing in the nature of the training process: the experimental group used specialized game means, while the control group followed a traditional program. The level of interest was assessed using the author's 5-point pedagogical observation scale, and manifestations of basic coordination abilities were recorded simultaneously. The assessment was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the experiment, followed by data processing using descriptive statistics methods [1].

Results of the study and discussion. Before the experiment, the level of interest in training sessions in the experimental and control groups was comparable, amounting to 2.9±0.6 and 3.0±0.5 points, respectively, reflecting a moderate, situational nature of engagement. Upon completion of the experiment, the group training with specialized game means showed a significant increase in the interest indicator to 4.3±0.5 points, whereas in the control group it increased only to 3.3±0.6 points and was predominantly adaptive in nature. Similar dynamics were observed in the manifestations of basic coordination abilities: the experimental group showed improvement in movement coordination, spatial orientation, and reaction speed, while changes in the control group were less pronounced. The obtained data confirm that the use of specialized game means provides a higher pedagogical and emotional effect and creates conditions for the effective development of coordination qualities at the initial training stage.

Conclusion. The results of the pedagogical experiment confirm the effectiveness of using specialized game means in the training process of children aged 6–8 years at the initial training stage in hockey, which is manifested in increased interest in sessions and level of emotional engagement. The game method ensures a transition to a personality-oriented training model, and the developed 5-point interest assessment scale can be used as a practical tool for pedagogical control of the training process.

Literature

1. Shakarov T.A., Guba V.P., Rodin A.V. Metodika podgotovki yunykh khokkeistov k sportivnoy deyatelnosti na nachalnom etape uchebno-trenirovochnogo protsessa [Methods of preparing young hockey players for sports activities at the initial stage of the educational and training process]. Atomnaya energiya sporta: Materialy nauchno-metodicheskogo seminara, Smolensk, 12–13 noyabrya 2024 goda. Smolensk: Smolensk State University of Sports, 2024. Pp. 328–332.