Though an Armenian proverb claims ‘In Healthy Body a Healthy soul’ the experience shows that it is the soul to nourish the body and that sport is the cooperation of body and soul that man/woman can develop and begin to achieve the unbelievable.
Armenia is one of the unique nations that is not only persistent, struggling the hardships, developing in general, but also the one preserving universal values and missions in its ‘national code’ in particular. It is capable of not only withstanding but also creating or assimilating what is new and beautiful from the others. Striking examples of the above said are its being the first bearer of Christian values and the first fighter for keeping them alive, the bystander and the developer of its national and traditional heritage during years of Persian, Arab, Ottoman and Soviet reign, the renaissance after several natural and artificial ravages, the belief towards the day of the future and many more.
The attained heritage after the collapse of the Soviet Union was both economically and psycho-culturally bankrupted, the results of which we feel nationally nowadays. The traditional image of the simple and creative Armenian shifted to the one of always complaining. This pessimistic attitude accompanied us during the whole period of 1990s, as well as after that and even today the older generations seems not getting rid of the mood towards the future. It finds its reflection expressing aggression, ‘don’t care’ attitude, partiality, etc. This, consequently, cannot do nothing but to have a negative influence on the personal development of the coming generation.
However, I cannot fail but mention the other side of the coin as well- pessimism is retreating step by step. The new generation, having the opportunity to communicate with universal values, start to appreciate the values and beliefs of both their own and the cultural peculiarities of other nations as well. The democratic values of the West are becoming more and more powerful and seem to make their own way with regard to political, economic and cultural relations. However, this is not an easy thing to do. Armenia strives for the union and co-fighting strategy of both physically and psychologically healthy people against those faults which are responsible for the erosion the human and the nation itself. There is an abundance of new ideas and projects in favour of the amelioration of the present but the initiative and the means such improvements are scarce in number yet.
Sports, where Armenians have shown their talent many centuries before, is becoming more and more imperative nowadays for the physical and psychological upbringing of the new generations.
It would be wrong to claim that there are no achievements at all; in fact there are but very little in number. There are spheres of sport which are not developed yet or where some wrong approaches are prevailing. . Consequently, a need arises for the introduction of more systemized, mental – psychological and normative imperatives into the sport. I do claim that an Armenian sportsman is able to do more in case the mental – psychological atmosphere is provided firstly.
Having been engaged in professional football for years I used to face the problems mentioned above. I had many chances to witness sort of psychological behaviour, that from the point of view psychological analysis would we termed as psychopathic or other disorders.
The new generation seems to have the willingness and initiative to overcome such problems but it should be supported.
One of the projects for this type of support can be singled out to be the perspective of the development of mini football with the new expression of training, mental and psychological demeanor, especially if we are interested in improving our relations with European international organizations.
The prerequisite of the development of Armenian mini football can be characterized with the help of the following three sets of aims.
Number One:
Sport and Universal Values
– The dissemination and training of our vision of the development of sport ( in particular mini football) in urban and rural areas.
– With the help of seminars, lectures, training and one to one meetings create an appropriate atmosphere where we would be able to meet the psychological needs of each participant ensuring their complete integration.
– Organize special psychological training courses for the individuals and teams attached to the organization for the development of both individual and team work.
– Disseminate universal values in sport/minifootball using all types of information spreading techniques at hand.
Number Two
Management of Sport
– Develop the concept of ‘Armenian Minifootball Brand’
– Establish a system of sport government taking into consideration the peculiarities of the Armenian culture and the experience of other countries or EMF.
– Develop the psychology and methodology of sport government.
Number Three
Traditional Sport Types
– Study the traditional sport types existing in Armenian and other cultures. Find some parallel features trying to make them object of cooperation.
– Find out the managing and psychological peculiarities of traditional sport types and import them in the systems of sport/minifootball management and other domains.
So, as we see, the perspective of the development of sport in general and mini football in particular can be the ground for the development of a psychologically healthy individual as well as the basis of the development of society and international relations for Armenia.