Sovetsky Sport. December 29, 1967. Is the debate over? Yes, on the pages of this newspaper. But having expressed our opinions, we have not simplified the extremely complex issue too much, and it's obviously worth foreseeing the need to return to it. Let me make it clear right away: the editorial board fully and completely shares the position of the Presidium of the USSR Gymnastics Federation, expressed in a conversation with us by its chairman G. V. Baklanov. We hope that the Federation will take measures to prevent 'super-early specialization' consistently and steadily.
However, let's take a closer look at the faces of the ardent supporters of accelerated training and understand who they are. It immediately becomes apparent that many of these people work in cities that are not very large and are not spoiled by major sports events. Naturally, gymnastics sections, especially if they are already well-known (even if only on a regional scale), are a huge magnet for local children. And the coaches have plenty of potential talent to 'sift through' and select from.
Most of the coaches themselves are utterly devoted to sports, dedicated individuals who know neither rest nor limits in their work. But the call of the times, which they don't always understand correctly, dictates to them: "Start with five-year-olds, produce 12-year-old Masters and 15-year-old champions!" And they are having success in this direction, which means they have the support of local authorities - and so the cycle continues. Also, note that young kids are fearless; they go for daring tricks as if they were diving into water - without even blinking. Only older children can ask "why?" or think "is this right?" and, of course, it's more difficult to work with them...
Laws and regulations are all well and good. They are necessary because forcing things can deprive us of gymnasts who have solid, refined skills (which don't develop at the age of 14 or 15), and, more dangerously, ill-considered experiments can harm children, whose health and future are of paramount importance to us.
However, in addition to the fundamental principles, daily training of coaches is necessary - and I mean training in the truest sense of the word, raising their athletic and general cultural level, and broadening their horizons. Most of those who hold differing opinions are talented and selfless; therefore, unity of views and consolidation of forces on the right platform are extremely important to us.
What is most harmful today are unhealthy sensations. Here's the mechanism behind one of them. The magazine Physical Culture and Sport, No. 1-2, published an article titled "The Girl from Vitebsk." It's about the youngest master of sports in gymnastics - 13-year-old Tamara Lazakovich. The moral of the article is contained in the last lines: "Apparently, the experience of training these gymnasts (Lazakovich and her older friend L. Petrik, who became a national champion at the age of 15 - S.T.) brings considerable clarity to the protracted discussion about early sports specialization." Thus, Lazakovich's coach V. D. Dmitriev, unintentionally appears as a supporter of 'extreme early specialization.'
The whole matter boils down to a small inaccuracy, a deliberate or unintentional distortion of the facts, resorted to by the author of the article - journalist I. Tarabrin of Uchitelnaya Gazeta (Teachers' Newspaper). Lazakovich did indeed perform in the balance beam finals of the USSR People's Spartakiad. And she did indeed receive a low score. But her routine was not 'very complex,' as the author suggested - it actually lacked the difficulty necessary for the final. Hence the failure. And in this failure lies the sucess and, if you will, the wisdom of coach Dmitriev, who did not force her to prepare difficult tricks prematurely, risking the girl's health.
So, let's not get overly excited about the hair bows and exclaim, clapping our hands, "Oh, what beautiful girls, what beautiful boys!" It's far more pleasant to have the opportunity and the right to say over time: "These are wonderful gymnasts - strong, intelligent, and mature."
S. TOKAREV