I presented two of my researches in Pécs, at the XVIII. Sports Science Congress, in the Sports Psychology section.
I first spoke to the professional audience about the effects of the Responsibility Development Training Program (RDTP), which I have created and has been in practice for three years, in the life of an U19 football team. The series of sessions throughout the whole season had a preventive function on the responsibility of the players involved in the research towards themselves and their team and as well as on their developmental approach. The players spent their final year in the youth academy and were about to graduate during the training program, which is a responsible period for an 18-year-old, who is just about to enter the “uppercase” life. This fact adds even more value to the training program, which has had a sustaining power in terms of their sense of responsibility and approach. In connection with RDTP I have already said in Pécs that my long-term goal is to integrate the training program into Hungarian football coaching. Therefore, coaches will also be able to apply it to their own team, even with the support of a sports psychologist.
On the second day of the congress I presented my research with Vienna Test System (VTS) to the audience. VTS is an Austrian-developed computer-based test system for measuring psychological functions, including the field of sports (Mi az a VTS?). In my research, I assessed the cognitive functions and sports-related personality traits of players of first-, second-, and third-division youth football teams (average age: 17,07 years). Based on the results, first-division players detect stimuli faster and react more effectively in a game situation. In addition, they are even better able to predict the time dimension of encountering with the ball, which plays an important role in ball pick-ups for example. Finally, in my sample, members of first division football group tend to show assertive behaviour, compared to the second- and third-division groups. According to this, they can represent their own interests more effectively taking into consideration the purposes of the team. In practice, it can lead to a more effective communication within the group, helping the team to function more effectively.
