Programming the Stage of Direct Preparation and Participation in the Main Competitions of the Sports Season for Highly Qualified Field Hockey Players

Background. The modern stage of training highly qualified athletes is characterized by the introduction of technologies into the training process aimed at effective planning and monitoring of training effects. This technology considers programming, which provides an ordered content of the training process, taking into account the main components of training loads. Objectives. The study purpose was to experimentally determine the effectiveness of building a training process for highly qualified field hockey players at the stage of direct preparation and participation in the main competitions of the sports season based on programming methods. Materials and methods. A total of 21 highly qualified field hockey players involved in the study. The participants had attained the rank of sports qualification — Master of Sports of Ukraine. The athletes’ mean age was 25.6 ± 5.29 years. The study was conducted in 2021 during the preparation and participation of the Ukrainian national field hockey team in the European Championship “Championship 2” (Gniezno, Poland). The scientific search was carried out on the basis of the following methods: theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific and methodical literature; pedagogical observation, pedagogical testing, and methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The stage structure of direct preparation and participation in the main competitions of the sports season for highly qualified field hockey players was determined. It consisted of three mesocycles: basic — 4-day retractable microcycle, 4-day shock microcycle, 3-day recovery microcycle; special training — 4-day shock microcycle, 3-day recovery microcycle, 4-day preparatory microcycle; competitive — 7-day competitive, 3-day recovery microcycles. Conclusions. One of the most rational technologies for training athletes is programming, which ensures an ordered content of the training process, taking into consideration the key elements of training loads. Programs of training tasks were developed, which became the basis for micro- and mesocycle programs.