Methodology of initial training of young volleyball players aged 9-10 based on the use of biomimetic exercises

Background and purpose At the current stage of volleyball development, special attention is paid to the initial training of young athletes, as the 9–10 age group is considered a sensitive period for developing coordination, speed, speed-strength abilities and flexibility. Traditional training methods often focus on developing physical qualities and technical skills in isolation, which can reduce children's motivation and emotional engagement. Biomimetic exercises, which simulate the natural movements of animals, contribute to both physical and neurocognitive development. This increases the motivation and adaptive abilities of young volleyball players. The objective is to develop and experimentally substantiate a methodology for the initial training of young volleyball players aged 9–10, using biomimetic exercises to improve the effectiveness of the training process. Material and methods The study was conducted at the Children's and Youth Sports School No. 12 of the Kharkiv City Council with the participation of 16 young volleyball players aged 9-10, divided into a control group (n=8) and an experimental group (n=8). The control group was instructed using traditional teaching methods, which were recommended by the volleyball training programme for youth sports schools. The experimental group was given a methodology that had been specially developed, involving biomimetic exercises. These were integrated into the preparatory, main, and final parts of the training sessions. Research methods: It is recommended that the following methods be considered: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical observation, pedagogical experiment, pedagogical testing, and methods of mathematical statistics. Results As would be anticipated, both the experimental and control groups demonstrated enhancements in their motor capabilities following a seven-month period of training. The enhancements observed in the experimental group manifested as a tendency towards greater magnitude, however, these disparities did not attain statistical significance (p > 0.05) across all assessments. A comparative analysis of the rates of improvement demonstrated that the experimental group exhibited higher rates of motor performance enhancement in comparison to the control group. The experimental technique, which integrated biomimetic exercises into training combinations with technical elements of volleyball, provided a statistically significant improvement in most indicators of technical preparedness of young volleyball players aged 9–10 years compared to the traditional technique of technical training. Conclusions The methodology developed for the initial training of young volleyball players aged 9-10 using biomimetic exercises has been shown to be effective in the development of motor skills and the mastery of technical skills. It has been demonstrated that this approach contributes to a more dynamic increase in physical fitness indicators, increased motivation, and more effective mastery of basic technical and tactical game techniques when compared to traditional methods. The results obtained confirm the feasibility of using a biomimetic approach in the training process of young volleyball players.