ORIENTAÇÃO ESPORTIVA DE ATLETAS PERTENCENTES ÀS MODALIDADES DE REMO E NATAÇÃO ADAPTADOS.

The purpose of this study was to verify competitive tendencies of athletes practicing adapted swimming and adapted rowing. For that, 20 athletes with disabilities (G1 = 10 athletes of adapted swimming and G2 = 10 athletes of adapted rowing) answered to the Sports Orientation Questionnaire (GILL; DEETER, 1988). The results of both groups were compared through the Mann-Whitney test and relations among tendencies, athletes' age, and practice time were verified through the Spearman correlation. Results indicated the tendency of establishing goals was significantly stronger. There was no difference between athletes of adapted swimming and adapted rowing, even though the latter group presented superior age and less time of sport practice. Usually, these behaviors aren't observed in athletes with the same competitive level of conventional sport. This fact shows that, for athletes with disabilities, sport practice seems to be more closely associated to overcoming than to the competition and winning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]