EXPERIENCE WITH PERCEPTUAL AND MOTOR-SKILLS IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Based on the notion of measuring meter performance, an experiment with three groups of 20 elite rhythmic gymnasts (N=60), 9 to 10 yr., 11 to 12 yr., and 13 to 15 years of age (national level), with children of the same size and age was conducted, to identify the important abiliti es for the achievement of excellence in this sport. Motor abilities (w hole-body coordination, dynamic balance, static balance, sense of kine sthesis, whole-body movement time, and eye-hand coordination) as well as perceptual abilities (whole-body reaction time, anticipation of coi ncidence, and depth perception) were compared. Analysis showed that sc ores on measures of whole-body coordination, dynamic balance, and stat ic balance were higher for elite groups of athletes than for correspon ding control groups. Moreover, elite athletes in the oldest group scor ed higher than those in the youngest group on anticipation of coincide nce, on eye-hand coordination, and on static balance. These findings i ndicate the presence of systematic differences between elite athletes and nonathletes on motor abilities related to experience in this sport .