Pupils of the children’s olympic reserve sports school: social well-being and life strategies

Abstract

This article focuses on such subjects as certain aspects of training young athletes in football, given the complex interactions between special sports and general school education. The peculiarities of the situation are considered based on research (using the case study method, and mixed methods research). Its target groups are football academy students, their parents, school teachers and coaches. These results suggest that there are two main competing objectives when it comes to planning a life strategy for young athletes. The first one is a strong desire for a sports career, which is often manifested in the form of obsession. The second are the imperatives of good general education, the need for which is dictated by modern society.The following situational effects, identified in this research, require further studying: 1) narrowing the horizons of planning and negative expectations when it comes to life strategy, if it expands beyond the limits of sports; 2) emotional discomfort due to the gap between the need for quality education and the dominant group stereotypes about the lack of opportunities to obtain it; 3) the probability of becoming obsessed with football and the further exacerbation of such due to a narrow specialization in professional activities. The methodological significance of the study is that this research case (a double training system of elite professional education from childhood) can be considered as a type- forming one. The effects revealed within it can be used as a model for analyzing the problems of other organizations of this type. Also, the model status of the research helps to promote hypotheses which can be tested in other cases.