Aspects Related to the Training of Athletes with Disabilities for Participation in Sports Competitions

Abstract

Sports competitions for athletes in general and athletes with disabilities, in particular, can contribute to gaining social values on a personal level. However, participation in sports competitions requires the initial training of athletes, which will also condition their play throughout these competitions. A distinct feature of sports competitions for people with intellectual disabilities is the existence of the division test, which allows the distribution of athletes into value groups according to their abilities. For bocce, the division test includes a modified game during which athletes throw the 8 balls three times to the pallina placed at three different distances (9.15 m, 12.20 m, and 15.25 m) on the playing area. Research participants are 20 people (9 female and 11 male) with intellectual disabilities. In the current research, three tests were applied: an initial test, an intermediate test, and a final test. The research methods used, namely the documentation method, the experiment method, the mathematical and statistical method, and the graphical method, highlight the values achieved by athletes for the three aforementioned distances. The scores obtained in the three tests indicate a two-way oscillation of players’ results from one test to another, which is normal for this category of athletes. But the three tests of the game are extremely useful and must be practiced during training lessons. The results obtained in these tests are indicative for their subsequent play during the competition and allow to compare an athlete with other people having the same disability and almost similar motor levels.