The possibility of using sign and symbolic tools in the development of motor skills by beginning soccer players

This article analyzes the use of iconic and symbolic tools by young athletes in thedevelopment of concrete motor skills. The study involved 22 young athletes, aged5–6 years, attending a soccer school in Moscow, Russia. The methodological procedureincluded using specifi cally designed mini-movies, which were short videoclips employing diff erent sign and symbolic tools for mastering alternate dribblingusing the inner and outer side of the foot and the subsequent kick of the ball towardthe net. The results showed the eff ectiveness of these tools when workingwith young soccer players. Those athletes who used metaphors as one of the toolsfor mastering motor skills exhibited better movement development than did theathletes who used sign tools.