THE INFLUENCE OF THE STATE OF THE ARCHES OF THE FOOT ON THE PHYSICAL CONDITIONAL OF YOUNG HOCKEY PLAYERS

The relevance of this study is due to the prevalence of foot deformity in hockey players on the one hand, and the key role played by the foot in maintaining a stable body position, physical endurance — as a factor of success and prolonging sports longevity in sports, on the other hand. The purpose of the study is to study the physical fitness of young hockey players depending on the condition of the arches of the foot. The study was conducted on the basis of the Moscow Hockey Academy, which was attended by 20 hockey players aged 14–15 years of II–III adult categories. Assessment of the functional state of the foot was carried out using plantography and podometry, and to study the physical condition of young hockey players, pedagogical testing was conducted, including five control exercises of general and special physical training. Statistical processing of the results of the study was carried out using the Microsoft Office Excel computer program, arithmetic averages and standard deviations were calculated. To compare independent aggregates, we used the Mann – Whitney U-test. The differences were recognized as significant at p < 0,05. Plantography and podometry revealed flat feet in the majority of young hockey players (80 %), while pronounced deformities of the feet (II–III degree) prevailed. A study of the physical condition of young athletes showed that hockey players with flat feet have an advantage in speed and strength qualities, but are inferior in endurance and stick technique to players without violating the arches of the foot.