Abstract des Autors

The aim of the research was to establish the factors of influence for choosing sports and getting involved into training activity of track-and-field athletes and football players aged 12 to 17, also providing comparative analysis of dispersion and inter-correlation of these factors. The object–factors of influence for choosing sports and getting involved into training activity of track-and-field athletes and football players aged 12 to 17. It is presumable that students aged 12 to 17 are encouraged to choose training activities of track- and-field and football by similar social, sport-related and health enhancing factors; however, due to both individual and team concerns, as well as to variety in sport movements, there are existing significant differences in certain factors. The methods of the research: questionnaire interrogation, mathematical statistical analysis, comparative pedagogical analysis. The participants of the research were school age (12 to 17) students, practicing the sport of track-and-field athletics (n = 376) and football (n = 479). The respondents were randomly selected by applying serial principle. The questionnaires used to be filled following the agreements with coaches and with participation of the research conductors. Coaches significantly more (p < 0.05) tended to encourage the students in choosing track-and-field athletics (48.2 percent) than football (24 percent), engagement into track-and-field athletics was also more encouraged by Physical Education teachers at school (respectively 42.5% and 2.3%). Parents (respectively 26.2% and 20.5%) and physicians (5.2% and 1.7%), giving recommendations for doing sport, were also of little influence. Relatively little number of the students responded having followed the example of prominent athletes (12.5% and 28.6%) and friends (12.5% and 22.8%), and even less influence on their choice was made by media (press, television, advertisements) (2.5% and 4.6%). Comparing football players and track-and-field athletes’ responses, it appeared that the initial expectation of the players was to enrich their knowledge, to acquire new skills (respectively 84.6% and 49.5%), as well as to reinforce personal self- confidence (32.2% and 77.4%). Young track-and-field athletes were significantly more motivated to participate in training activity by the wish to achieve good sport results, comparing to football players (respectively 83.7% and 72.4%), while the reinforcing factors of the football players were a wish to participate in matches (86.2% and 73.3%), desire to be healthy and strong (82.0% and 74.1%), to enter the national team (68.5% and 62.7%), a wish to purposefully and actively use their free-time (62.8% and 53.7%), interesting training sessions (71.2% and 47.4%), friendly relations with coach (54.5% and 43.9%), aspiration to be well-known and respectable (44.3% and 30.0%), as well as material well-being (34.4% and 18.3%).