Application Features of Olympic Principles during Physical Training of Servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Фотографии: 

ˑ: 

V.L. Pashuta, Honored Worker of Higher School of Russia, professor, Dr.Hab.
A.S. Nikol'skaya, associate professor, Ph.D.
Military Institute (of physical culture) of Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov, St. Petersburg

Key words: Olympism, principle, physical training, international, supranational, healthy lifestyle, military personnel.

It is assumed relevant to consider the application features of the Olympic education principles and Olympism as a whole, as well as some developmental prospects for theoretical researches and the practical use of the present experience during physical training of servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Today one of the leading directions of the social and educational policy of Russia is development of physical culture and sport, and, above all, the consideration of the Olympic education phenomenon in the context of its connecting, international and supranational character. Olympic education acts both as a public phenomenon and as a complete system contributing to the formation of a healthy way of life, and also to conducting the high-quality physical training of the younger generation, adult civilian population, cadets of military universities and servicemen.

Currently, the availability of the corresponding education is quite often a necessary condition for performing active duty because of the high progress of modern technologies, including the defense sphere, and the need for their successful development and application in the shortest training period. Training and education of experts serving in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on a temporary or permanent basis, first of all, are aimed at increasing their combativity and fighting efficiency. Training and education processes are inseparable as their common tasks are the general and applied military physical training for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of service and professional tasks performed by the military personnel, social and political training, studying of the national history, traditions of the Army and Fleet, problems of the state and military building, military pedagogics and psychology, the legislation of the Russian Federation and the international humanitarian law and the experience of the international movements and organizations creation, serving the expansion of humanistic values and ideals, in particular – the Olympic Movement. Thus, the Fatherland defender personality is formed and the state patriotism is developed.

The Olympic subject is one of universal methods of development and cultivation of the qualities necessary for a serviceman – intellectual, moral, physical – both for daily, applied professional activities, and for self-actualization in elite sport.

The originator of the modern Olympic Games (1896) was French teacher, sports and public figure - Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937). His idea about generality and universalizm in sport was best stated in the modern term "Olympism". According to the Olympic Charter, "Olympism" is the philosophy of life ennobling and uniting into a balanced whole the advantages of body, will and mind [3].

The major characteristics of Olympic education of the beginning of the XXI century, thus being in line with the Pierre de Coubertin's philosophy, are the following: theory of harmonious development of a person; idea of perfection achievement by a person via the equally well mastered scientific, art and sports educational areas; ethical norms and principles of fair play, equal opportunities, amateur sport as part of the international movement; concept of good will and peace between nations, being expressed in respect and tolerance in interpersonal relations; strive for freedom via sport [6].

As V.S. Rodichenko notes, the Russian Olympic Committee has been developing and introducing into practice the Organizational and methodological concept of the Olympic education in Russia since 1990 [1]. The joint order of the Ministry of Education and the Russian Olympic Committee "On the organization of research of the issues of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games" (1994) [5] was issued for this purpose. It underlay the all-Russian model of Olympic education within which the Olympic knowledge was included in the program of the theory of "Physical Culture" in educational institutions of all levels.

With all the obvious importance of involvement of servicemen (especially of military universities of physical culture) in the training of the country’s Olympic reserve [2] and their teaching on the basis of the Olympism principles, the developers of the Russian national system of Olympic education speak about its three subsystems intended only for the civilian population [4, 5]. In addition, it is to be noted that the education of servicemen at the present stage doesn't include Olympism in its contents. Thus, a contradiction arises between the humanistic purposes, tasks and principles of education for servicemen and the absence of the theory and practice of Olympic education in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Now it is especially relevant to apply the Olympic principles in the course of physical training of servicemen in the light of staging of the Olympic Games "Sochi 2014" in Russia and the good performance of our national team.

Hence, in the context of our work the most significant principles of Olympism are the following:

- harmonious combination of physical training, education and acquiring of background knowledge;

- use of the best examples of sports will to win and top achievements;

- providing support to a companion in arms and respect for an opponent;

- uniting nature of sports activities (professional and amateur);

- productive interaction between all the people involved in the process of organization, conduct and performance physical training;

- implementation of the human right for physical development, without being exposed to discrimination (racial, religious, political, etc.);

- equal opportunities and availability of physical training to servicemen with various initial physical fitness levels;

- conscious moral choice made by any participant during physical training in favor of justice (athlete, representative of sports organizations, coach, referee, physician, etc.).

Accordingly, the physical training process formed in compliance with the Olympism principles will help purposefully develop personal qualities such as loyalty to the duty of a soldier, discipline, social and personal responsibility, pride for belonging to the country, objectivity when evaluating strengths and weaknesses, self-confidence, good organization, respect for people working in one team, determination, persistence, honesty, etc. However, now physical training of servicemen both as a process and as a result is considered rather narrowly and it generally assumes developing skills necessary for the formation of the military and professional competency, that is the serviceman has to develop and improve physical qualities (endurance, strength, speed and dexterity) in compliance with his age features, and to form cross country skills on foot and skiing, as well as skills of passing natural and artificial obstacles, hand-to-hand fight and applied military swimming.

On the basis of the findings it is possible to note the main long-range directions of using the Olympic principles in physical training of servicemen. The theoretical direction (formation of basic theoretical and practical literature; design of the educational and methodical complex "Olympic Education for Servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation"; development of the educational technology of interaction and communication in military collectives based on the "Fair Play" principle; researching the application efficiency of methodological, objective, substantial, technological components of Olympic education for servicemen on the basis of the stipulated criteria. The practical direction (introduction of servicemen into healthy lifestyle principles; regular activities for development of professional knowledge, practical skills, personal qualities necessary both for servicemen and elite athletes; staging of sports events, organization of the personnel active spare time; promoting sports achievements on the example of their military collective, and on the example of well-known Olympic athletes).

Conclusions. As proved by the studies of the features of the modern Olympic movement, education and the basic principles of Olympism, as applied to the organization of the servicemen physical training process, their humanistic potential can be realized in the theory and practice of physical training of servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

References

  1. Olympism, Olympic Movement, Olympic Games (history and present): XIX Olympic scientific session of young scientists and students of Russia: Proceedings / scient. adv. by V.S. Rodichenko, in charge of publ. A.T. Kontanistov. – Moscow: Sovetsky sport, 2008. – 128 P. (In Russian)
  2. The Olympic charter / transl. from English. - Moscow: Sovetsky sport, 1996. - 96 P. (In Russian)
  3. Russian Olympic Committee [Electronic resource] // URL: http://www.olympic.ru/ (access date: 05.04.2014). (In Russian)
  4. Rodichenko, V.S. The Olympic Movement on the eve of the III millennium: harmonization of interests / V.S. Rodichenko // Sports, spiritual values, culture. - Iss. II: Humanistic ideals, Olympic ideas and the world of modern sports: Book / Comp. and ed. by: V.V. Kuzin, V.I. Stolyarov, N.N. Chesnokov. - Moscow: Humanitarian Center "SpArt" of RSAPC, 1998. – P. 95-102. (In Russian)
  5. Shchelkanov, N.A. Army athletes - champions of Olympic Games / N.A. Shchelkanov, V.A. Krivobokov. – Leningrad, 1985. – 65 P. (In Russian)
  6. Muller, N. Olympic Education / N. Muller // The Sport Journal. / Editor: Ms. Carol Magendie. - Volume 14, 2011. – URL: http://www.thesportjournal.org/ (access date: 10.05.2014).

Corresponding author: pashuta.valery.lukich@gmail.com