An Attempt Defining the Influence of Selected Factors Exerted on Results in Sport and Gymnastics

Abstract

The authors set themselves the goal to examine the interaction between five selected variables and to establish the hierarchy of significance of the influence of some of them on results in sport and gymnastics. (Social origin, age, practice as competitor, marital state and the age of starting to practice gymnastics).

Forty-four top-class competitors, 40 competitors of the national champion category (NC) and 22 of the international champion category (IC) were subjected to an analysis. The method used was an analysis of multiple regressicn, based en the structure of mathematical models. The results obtained indicate a remarkable influence of the social origin, practice as competitor and marital state on results in sport and gymnastics. Competitors of working class origin at the beginning of their career (first class and national champion category) obtain worse results than competitors from intellectual circles. This thesis did not find confirmation as regards the category of international champions, where competitors of working class origin obtain better results than their peers from families of intellectuals. The practice as competitor exerts a positive influence, i.e. one year more of practice improves the results on an average by 1.102 points. The analysis also reveals that competitors who are single obtain better results than those who are married.