THE RELATIONS BETWEEN CERTAIN MOTOR ABILITIES AND SUCCESS IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS IN THE STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT GENDERS

The aim of this study was to examine the relations between the achievement in acquiring the program of rhythmic gymnastics (RG) and the motor abilities important for success in this sport discipline, in the students of different genders. The study included 58 Faculty of Sport and Physical Education students (29 male students and 29 female students, aged 20-21). Balance was measured using the ’Flamingo’ balance test; overall coordination was mAeasured using the test of 20 lunges with a stick; coordination in rhythm using the Drumming with legs and arms test; flexibility was measured using the Active straight leg raise test; explosive muscle power of the leg extensors was measured using the Split squat vertical jump test and High jump after a dismount and repetitive muscle power of the leg extensors was measured using the test of a Series of repetitive jumps lasting 15s. The success in RG was operationalized through the expert assessment. To determine the relationship between motor abilities and expert assessment Pearson’s correlation analysis was used (Pearson-product moment). The results of this research indicate the conclusion that the motor abilities i.e. flexibility and coordination are significant for successful acquisition of the program contents of RG among the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education.


INTRODUCTION
In physical culture, especially in its educational and sports entity, the integrity of students in their development and functioning has been emphasized (Ismail, 1976).In order to improve the quality of each student's specific motor activity through PE lessons, the adequate program content is necessary to be well designed and properly applied.Whether a student will be successful in performing certain motor activity depends on numerous factors.The research results have shown that, in addition to anthropometric characteristics, functional abilities and psychological characteristics, motor abilities are also important for achieving success in physical education and sport (Kasum, 2001;Karalejić, & Jakovljević, 2008;Popović, 2010).
Motor abilities are of primary importance in solving sports problems and they are a precondition for performing com-plex forms of movement.The motor abilities of an individual directly determine the success of physical activity performance (Nedeljković, 2007).The manifestation of motor abilities may be influenced by the factors such as: physical posture, gender, level of physical activities and abilities (Astran, & Rodahl, 1986; Abernethy, Wilson et al., 1995;Keating, & Matyas, 1996, according to Nedeljković, 2007).
When the athletes' skills and quality of performance are set as the research criterion in the science of sport, then they provide a special contribution to the sports practice.The criterion may include a set of variables-factors of success which define the success in certain sports (kinesiology and physical) activity (Jakovljević, Karalejić, & Radovanović, 2007).Rhythmic gymnastics (hereinafter referred to as: RG) belongs to a group of sports, together with diving, figure skating, synchronized swimming and sports gymnastics, where the sports results, in addition to success, are expressed by an average mark given by a number of judges.The movements in rhythmic gymnastics represent a system of perfectly coordinated movements, which are willingly controlled, with a tendency to meet specific sports and aesthetic criteria when performing them.A complexity of the motion activities in rhythmic gymnastics is conditioned by the manifestation of a great number of motor abilities (Karpenko, 2003).Rhythmic gymnastics, as a sports discipline, is characterized by mastering quite complex motor movements by the body and apparatus and bringing them into a harmonious space-time relation, which requires a high degree of the gymnast's efficacy.Therefore, it is necessary that the motor abilities, required for correct and precise performance of the elements by the body, are brought to an optimum or high degree by a training process.The results of this research have shown that the determinants of success in rhythmic gymnastics are morphological, motor, psychological and musical ones.The greatest number of studies has been dealing with determining the relations between the structure of motor abilities and the success in performing the elements of rhythmic gymnastics, i.e. identifying the motor abilities significant for the successful performance of complex structural movements in RG.In these studies, as the motor abilities significant for success in RG, the following have been distinguished: flexibility, overall coordination and its factor of coordination in rhythm, precision of movements, balance, speed, power (Popović, 1986;Miletić, Srhoj, & Bonacin, 1998;Sanader, 2000;Miletić, Sekulić, & Wolf-Cvitak, 2004;Di Cagno et al., 2008;Moskovljević, Radisavljević, & Dabović, 2009).
Rhythmic gymnastics, as a content of the physical education curriculum, includes a variety of movements which could influence the students' overall specificities (morpho-functional, motor, psychological, musical), since, among other things, the specificity of physical education is the development of psycho-motor abilities (Višnjić, Jovanović, & Miletić, 2004).As a form of physical exercise it provides great possibilities of achieving the goals and tasks in physical education (Radisavljević, & Moskovljević, 2011).The basic contents of rhythmic gymnastics, as well as all other contents of the basics of children's sports, should be implemented through the curriculum of physical education from the first grade of primary school, under the expert guidance of the sport and physical education teachers (Jevtić, Radojević, Juhas, & Ropret, 2011).
Male students, as the future sport and physical education teachers, should be familiar with the basics of this sport and should be able to successfully convey the knowledge and skills to the children of both sexes through the physical education teaching, and in accordance with the Curriculum.It often happened that the male physical education teachers used to avoid these contents in their work with children since they were not trained to do so, and the fact is that the contents of rhythmic gymnastics are provided by the educational standards and curriculum for primary school.The scientific studies have confirmed that male students may be almost as successful as female students, in acquiring the contents of RG syllabus (Moskovljević, & Orlić, 2012).In sports domain, there is a significant relationship between motor abilities (flexibility, balance, coordination, coordination in rhythm, explosive power) and success in RG (Popović, 1986;Miletić et al., 1998;Miletić et al., 2004;Douda, Avloniti, Kasabalis, & Tokmakidis, 2007;Moskovljević et al., 2009).There are few previous studies including the sample of student population, especially male students, that have come to different results and they do not provide a clear picture about the relation between motor abilities and success in performing the technique of RG (Wolf-Cvitak, 1984; Šebić-Zuhrić, Manić, Bonacin, & Hmjelovjec, 2008).For these reasons, this research examined the said motor abilities, significant for success in RG, but in the student population of both genders.
The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between the achievements in acquiring the RG syllabus and the motor abilities significant for success in RG, in the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of both genders.On the basis on the aforementioned results of the previous studies, speaking about a significant relationship between flexibility, balance, coordination, coordination in rhythm, and explosive power and the success in RG as a sports branch, it has been assumed that the sample of the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of both genders will show a significant relationship between motor abilities and success in acquiring the RG contents.

METHOD Participants
The study included 58 students of the second year of academic studies at the faculty of Sport and Physical Education, aged 20-21.According to the gender, the sample included 29 male students and 29 female students.Such a sample was selected bearing in mind that the contents of RG are provided by the educational standards and curriculum for primary school and that the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education as the future teachers of sport and physical education have to acquire the knowledge and skills of RG, regardless of the gender.

Variables and Instruments
The assessment of motor status of the subjects was performed on the basis of the data obtained using the tests assessing balance, coordination, flexibility, explosive and repetitive muscle power of the leg extensors.The success in RG was operationalized through the expert assessment.
To assess balance of the entire body, the 'Flamingo' balance test was used (Eurofit, 1993).The test is performed on a balance beam, by standing on a single leg.
To assess overall coordination, the test of 20 lunges with a stick was used (Kurelić, Momirović, Stojanović, Šturm, Radojević, & Viskić, 1975).The subjects' task was to regularly step forward 20 times first with their right leg, then with their left leg, pulling the stick under their leg with each lunge.
To assess coordination in rhythm the test of rhythmical drumming with legs and arms was used (Metikoš, Hofman, Prot, Pintar, & Oreb, 1989).This test consists of the cycles of alternating movements of legs and arms for a certain period of time.
To assess flexibility the test of Active straight leg raise was used (Božić, Pažin, Berjan, Planić, & Ćuk, 2010).This test assesses active flexibility (a subject actively raises one leg until reaching the maximum amplitude) and passive flexibility (the examiner additionally pushes the leg to the final amplitude) of the hamstring thigh muscles.
To assess the repetitive leg muscle power the test of a series of repetitive jumps lasting 15s (15sSPSkok) was performed using the Optojump-computerized system Bosco (Bosco, & Luhtanen, 1983).The sub-jects, within a specified time interval, perform the maximum number of high jumps possible, with the contact time as short as possible.
In order to assess the explosive leg muscle power the two tests were used, also using the Optojump-computerized system Bosco, i.e. split squat vertical jump with no arm swing -SkokVPČ (Komi, & Bosco, 1978) and high jump after a dismount with no arm swing (SkokVNS), which measures the maximum height of the jump and explosive power as well.
To assess the success of performance in RG the expert assessment was used.The composition without any apparatus, the composition with a rope and the composition with a ball were evaluated based on a video recording.The three international female judges holding a valid "Brevet" licence of the International Gymnastic Federation in rhythmic gymnastics, assessed the recorded compositions, independently.For each composition, each judge gave three marks: a mark for the accuracy of a composition, a mark for a technique of the composition performance, and a mark for the harmonization of the movements with the music.Out of these three marks, an average mark for each composition was derived.Afterwards, an average mark for all the three compositions was derived.The final expert mark was derived as a mean value of the three judges' marks.
Before they started assessing the subjects, the judges were completely informed by the authors of this research about the compositions to be evaluated and the entire evaluation procedure as well.It should be noted that the students' evaluation criteria, within the Theory and Teaching methods of RG course at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, are different from the assessment of female competitors.In the case of the students, the priority is given to the correct, precise and harmonious performance of the compositions, where it is not insisted on great amplitudes.The assessment, due to the criterion of harmonization, was carried out according to the Scale for assessing the acquisition of the program contents of rhythmic gymnastics (Table 1), with the same assessment criterion for both male and female subjects, and in accordance with the parts of the Rulebook of the International Gymnastic Federation (Rulebook of Rhythmic Gymnastics -FIG, 2013), which refer to the assessment of faults in performing the compositions and the harmonization of music and movements.The range of marks was between 5 and 10.

-5.4
The composition is not performed at all or the composition is partially performed (only certain elements, without connection), with a great number of technical faults in performance of the movements of the body and by the apparatus, without harmonization with the music.

-5.9
A small part of the composition is connected, or the entire composition is performed with many large faults in the technique of performing the movements of the body or by the apparatus, without harmonization with the music.

-6.4
The composition is entirely connected, with 3-4 incorrectly performed elements, with large and medium faults in the technique of performing the movements of the body or by the apparatus, the movement is partially harmonized with the music (4 and more beats).

6.5-6.9
The composition is entirely connected, with 1-2 incorrectly performed elements, with medium and small faults in the technique of performing the movements of the body or by the apparatus, the movement is partially harmonized with the music (4 and more beats).

-7.4
The entire composition is performed correctly, with a greater number of medium and small faults in performing the entire composition, partially harmonized with the music (up to 2 beats).

7.5-7.9
The entire composition is performed correctly, with a small number of medium and small faults in performing certain parts of the composition, partially harmonized with the music (up to 2 beats).8 -8. 4 The entire composition is performed correctly, with a greater number of small faults, harmonized with the music.

-8.9
The entire composition is performed correctly, with the occasional small faults in performance, harmonized with the music.

-9.4
The entire composition is performed correctly, with the good technique of performing the movements of the body and by the apparatus (possible occurrence of small faults, up to 5),with the harmonization of the performance and complete harmony between the movements and the music.

-10
The entire composition is performed correctly, with the good technique of performing the movements of the body and by the apparatus (possible occurrence of 1-2 small faults), with the presence of harmony and harmonization of the performance and complete harmony between the movements and the music.

Research Course and Procedures
All the data were collected after the completion of the course of Theory and Teaching methods of RG, which lasted for 12 weeks.The measurements were carried out in two days.On the first day, the students' motor abilities were assessed, and on the second day the students performed the compositions without apparatus, and the compositions with a rope and a ball, which were recorded by a video camera.The same examiners and judges carried out all the measurements and assessments.

Statistical Procedures
In the field of descriptive statistics the following were determined: arithmetic mean (AS), standard de-viation (SD), minimum (MIN) and maximum value (MAX).In order to determine the relationships between motor abilities and expert assessment Pearson's correlation analysis (Pearson-product moment) was used.

RESULTS
The results of descriptive statistics are shown in the Table 2.The results have shown that the average mark for all the three compositions in the male subjects was 7.53 (SD=0.68),and in the female subjects it was 7.75 (SD=0.81).The relationship between the achievements in RG and the examined motor abilities in the male and female subjects was checked using the correlation analysis (Pearson's coefficient of correlation).Correlation analysis between the expert assessment of RG and the examined motor abilities obtained in the final measurement, in the entire sample, has shown that there were statistically significant correlations in the tests of 20 lunges with a stick, active straight left leg raise, passive straight left leg raise, active straight right leg raise and passive straight right leg raise (Table 3).In the subsample of male subjects, there was also a statistically significant correlation between the mark in RG and the score achieved in the test of drumming with legs and arms.If the subsample of female subjects is regarded, the correlations between the mark in RG and the tests of 20 lunges with a stick and drumming with legs and arms were not statistically significant.The correlation analysis between the expert assessment of RG and the results of the measurement of explosive and repetitive muscle power of the leg ex-tensors (jumps) has not shown any statistically significant correlations neither in the entire sample nor in the subsamples of male and female subjects (Table 4).

DISCUSSION
The correlation analysis between the expert assessment of RG and balance, as a motor variable, has not shown any statistically significant correlations in the entire sample nor in the subsamples of male and female subjects.The influence of the ability to maintain balance was not statistically significant for the success of the performance of gymnastic compositions, a finding which is consistent with the previous research (Miletić et al., 1998;Šebić-Zuhrić et al., 2008).The reason for this may be found in the structure of a rhythmic composition itself, where the simplest exercises belonging to this structural group appeared as balance in the minimum number (1-2 balance per a composition).The positions with a greater support surface, shorter time of duration and a simpler position of free body parts were used and in such a range they did not affect the judges' assessment, and therefore they were not related to the predictor variables.
Based on the research on this issue in sport in the RG contestants (Popović, 1986;Sanader, 2000;Moskovljević et al., 2009), a positive correlation between coordination and success in RG was determined.The results of the research in the student population have not shown any correlation between the specific movements in RG and the variable of coordination (Šebić-Zuhrić et al., 2008), which the authors explained by the inadequate selection of the coordination assessment tests.However, this research has confirmed a statistically significant correlation between the overall coordination and the expert assessment of RG, observed in the entire sample, which means that the influence of the overall coordination ability proved significant for successful acquisition of the contents of RG syllabus.General findings, obtained in the entire sample, indicate that the mentioned test of 20 lunges with a stick may be used for assessing the overall coordination, in the student population in the RG teaching.
Both overall coordination and its factor of coordination in rhythm as motor variables have shown a statistically significant positive correlation with the expert assessment of RG in the male sample, whereas in the female sample this correlation was not statistically significant.This could be explained in the following way: women mostly prefer (Gošnik, Sedar, & Bunjevac, 2007) and practice, in their free time, physical activities which are more complex in coordination and contain aesthetic components (dance, aerobics, fitness); compared to men, therefore, they are more oriented towards the movements more complex in coordination with the emphasized aesthetic component.In this study, the male subjects showed better results when it came to the coordination (overall and its factor of coordination in rhythm) as a motor ability and they had no previous experience in the movements which are more complex in coordination with the emphasized aesthetic component, which leaves more space for improvement through the acquisition of the program contents of rhythmic gymnastics.
In all the previous studies which determined the relationship between motor abilities and successful performance in RG, the tests for assessing flexibility as a motor ability were used (Popović, 1986;Damjanovska, 1988;2000;Miletić et al., 1998;Sanader, 2000;Bijelić, 2003;Di Cagno, et al., 2009;Moskovljević et al., 2009) which is said to be "the first among the equal" in RG.In this research, active and passive flexibility of the left and right leg, in the subjects of both genders, were assessed.The relationship between the expert assessment in RG and all four flexibility tests was determined by the correlation analysis in the entire sample.This would mean that flexibility is extremely significant motor ability for successful acquisition of the program contents of rhythmic gymnastics as well as other related disciplines (dance, ballet), which is consistent with the previous studies (Popović, 1986;Damjanovska, 1988;2000;Miletić et al., 1998;Moskovljević et al., 2009;Vlašić, Oreb, & Furjan-Mandić, 2007;Sanader, 1985;Bijelić, 2003;Suzović, & Porčić, 2012).When the relation according to the gender is observed, passive flexibility of the left and right leg showed a statistically significant correlation with the expert assessment both in male and female subjects.The possession of good passive flexibility is a precondition for achieving better results in the active flexibility.The contents of RG, practiced by the students three times a week in the practical classes, included calisthenics, elements of jumps, balance and rotations, where it was insisted on the amplitude and width of movements.
The correlation analysis determined that there was not a statistically significant correlation between the expert assessment of RG and explosive and repetitive leg muscle power, neither in the entire sample, nor in the subsamples of males and females, which is contrary to some previous studies (Wolf-Cvitak, 1984; Miletić et al., 1998).The results of this research indicate that these two motor abilities were not significant for the successful acquisition of the program contents of RG, in this case.The reason for this might be found in the fact that the duration of the rhythmic compositions, by which the successful performance was assessed, ranged between 16 2/4 or 3/4 beats.A short duration of the compositions did not allow the occurrence of a greater number of the elements belonging to one structural group (e.g.jumps), thus, within such a range (1 jump per a composition), the elements of the same structural group did not affect the expert assessment, so that a correlation with the predictor variables was not statistically significant.
The fact that the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of different genders were included in the sample of subjects may suggest a limitation of this research, thus, the results of this study cannot be generalized in the population engaged in RG.However, in the hypothesis of this research, the question was whether a correlation between the motor abilities significant for RG and the successful performance in RG would be determined in the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of both genders.The results of this research have confirmed the fact that flexibility and coordination are the two motor abilities which are the most important for successful acquisition of the program contents of RG also in the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education.On the other hand, the fact significant for the sample selection is that they, as the future sport and physical education teachers, should systematically, through physical education teaching, apply the basic contents of RG to the school children of both genders.At the same time, they must know which motor abilities could be primarily developed using the contents of RG in accordance with the children's age.

CONCLUSION
The results of this research suggest the conclusion that, in the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, the future teachers of sport and physical education, the motor abilities of coordination and flexibility, which emerged as the most important motor abilities also in the studies in the sample of the girls actively engaged in RG, are significant for the successful acquisition of the program contents of RG.The gender specificities, in favour of the male students, have been expressed in terms of the relationship between these motor abilities and the expert assessment, which should be further examined in the future.Balance, explosive and repetitive leg muscle power did not emerge as a significant factor for the successful acquisition of the contents of RG, i.e. these motor abilities did not show a significant correlation with the expert assessment of RG.In the future research, the attention should be directed towards making balance positions more complex as well as increasing their number and the number of jumps in the gymnastic compositions in the physical exercise by the school population and the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, and finding the adequate motor tests which would in a more specific way measure the ability of maintaining balance position and the ability of explosive and repetitive leg muscle power in rhythmic gymnastics.
In the future studies, the motor factors for the successful acquisition of rhythmic gymnastics should be examined in a greater sample of the students of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, and the pupils of primary schools, by the implementation of the rhythmic gymnastics syllabus and introduction of the specific tests for measuring the motor abilities significant for the success in rhythmic gymnastics.

Table 3 .
Pearson's correlation coefficients between motor variables and expert assessment of RG * -significance at the level of 0.05 ** -significance at the level of 0.01 This paper is a part of the project "The Effects of the Applied Physical Activity on Locomotor, Metabolic, Psychosocial and Educational Status of the Population of the Republic of Serbia" (no.III47015).10.Gošnik, J., Sedar, M., & Bunjevac, T. (2007).Preferencije studenata/ica Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu prema sportskim aktivnostima [Preferences of students of Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb towards sports activities.In Croatian] 16.