Sports form phases

Sports form is divided into three phases:

1)      Sports form ingoing

2)      Sports form maintenance(relative stability)

3)      Sports form temporarily loss

During first phase is worked on fundamental basis from which quality depends sports form level. In the beginning, mostly separated, physical and technically- tactical qualities of sportsemen are being developed, and then become more and more united in competitive exercise(for example of soccer – playing on two goals is most similar to the game). Phase of sports form ingoing lasts differently and it is often conditioned by competition calendar. If it lasts shorter, next phase will be shorter – phase of sports form maintenance. So forced work with most part of competitive exercise in total training contents, can relatively quickly lead athlete into condition of sports form, but it cannot be calculated with longer lasting. That way of working is justified only in case that competitive season starts with series of very important competitions, like qualifier for European cups in sports games. Opposite, if competitions start later, in the beginning of the season sportsmen or team can be very successful on less important competitions, and to revive a complete result debacle on main competitions. It is often with those that worked “like never before” sports form is consumed during preparation period,and on first few important competitions, and that is later followed by precipitous fall, which can hardly be stopped.

It is obvious from the written that phase of sports form ingoing is matched with competitors preparation period. However, that is not the rule every single time. If coach really controls sports form, he can, depending of competition schedule, he can extend sports form according to schedule content on the first part of competitive period. Than first official competitions can be prepareful and controlling character, and lead sportsmen to the high level of sports form. Since in some sport branches in these competitions points have been given, this type of access means particular risk. Reasonable coach and athlete know that it is inevitably sometimes to lose on less important competitions to achieve the important goal later. Reversed examples from sports praxa are known, too; when athlete and coach chase less important competitions and records, which are marked only by statistics, and then “unluckily” lose important trophy from objectively weaker opponents.

Main goal determination in the season requires real assessment of athletes’ or team possibilities. Lower level athletes must look their chances on lower importance competitions, when ingoing to sports form should be planned. High rank athletes will serve this phase as preparation, which means that they can be defeated. However, in team sports, where on every competition points are achieved, it can be fatal. It is well known the example of one soccer club, newbie in the first league, that made a whole series of sensations; it had a positive scor with all members of “big four” – and it was turned out of the league. On home field the team lost all the matches with direct rivals and that lost couldn’t be compensated with success against stronger opponents.

Second phase of sports form is called relative stability phase, because sportsmen results oscilate lawfully. It is thought that sportsmen, in cyclic sport games(unless long-runners) during sports form phase achieve results of the less 98% , and in acyclic sports 95-97% of their best result. In perfect case athlete will show his best match, best fight, best game on the main competition. It mostly happens after the series of hard competitions. It happens to many athletes that they give the best after the main events, or team; after numerous league games, thanks to them, enters the sports form, but when it is too late. Coaches, that don’t know lawfullnesses of sports form development, often say in interviews that it is pitty due to season stop or end, because his team reached the top form now. These coaches do not control processes of sports form development, but it is appeared out of their will and, by the rule, in the most unnecessary moment.

Other phase of sports form, generally, matches the competitive period. First problem comes if competitive period lasts too long, because sports form can last for mostly 2-2,5 months. Because of that it is completely reasonable periodization of sports training with two or more short competitive periods, between which the break is necessary for athletes regeneration and their prepare for other part of competition. Other problem is when two important competitions are parallely done, like it is the case with cup competition and regular championship in the sport games. Prepares for cup competition disturb normal prepare for games and place the coach in dilemma what to do. Similar problem is play-off preparations.

It is already mentioned that there is no sports form without competition, but competitions also “expand” sports form. Too big number of  competitions can influent badly to sports form.

Phase of sports form temporarily loss appears lawfully. Sports form is impossible to be held during longer period of time, because, first, to raise athletes on the higher level, it is needed to “destroy” the old form and build new. Second, organism is not capable to adapt in longer period of time on constant, high requirements; cause this way will lead to overtraining. Furthermore, constant repeating of the same or similar training and competitive contents will lead to psychological fatique. Sportsmen become nervous, don’t have wish to compete and train, it is harder to motivate them, become tired faster, not succeed to solve technic- tactic assignments, complain on fatique etc. All that are signs of overtraining and if not drastically expressed, athletes’ condition is reversible and will not leave health and sport(result) problems.

Someone will wonder how can top athletes that always win exist. Are they always in sports form? Answer should be looked for previously in their huge talent and work, or in relatively weaker competition, cause, due to that, even if they are not in sports form condition, they are capable of winning the most rivals.

The best world athletes, that have competitions during the whole year(for example tennis players), are prepared from competition to competition, using mostly specific drills and carefully choosing the competition they will take part in – alone with the coach they make personal competition calendar and plan sports form during season.

"Basics of sports training", Vladimir Koprivica