THE FORMATIVE ROLE OF ACTIVE SPORTS ACTIVITY FOR THE MORAL STATUS OF ADOLESCENTS

ABSTRACT The general goal of family and educational environment is to prepare the rising generation for public practice by gaining social experience and building a moral culture of behavior. Although they are different, both institutions are responsible for the upbringing of children. Part of the extracurricular work in physical education and sport are also sports activities organized and conducted by sports clubs in a certain type of sport. The article conducts a study on the impact of training and sports competition activities on the formation of morally responsible behavior in adolescent football players. Certain indicators are derived from each criterion being analyzed in order to determine the moral status of the contestants. The methods of pedagogical research discourse, inquiry, and expert evaluation, applied to two age groups (total respondents – 280 competitors, 22 coaches, 18 referees, and 4 football delegates) during the football championship 7 of the 2021/22 sports competition year in Stara Zagora region. The opinion of the coaches and delegates, the actions of the referees regarding disciplinary control, the behavior of the players before the start, during, and after the end of football matches, numbering 300, have been examined. The statistical methods for processing empirical data for the purpose of analyzing and presenting the results of the study are variational, cor-relational, comparative, and descriptive analyses, Van der Waerden test, and processing of textual information from matches played. The results obtained found positive and statistically analyzed changes in the behavior of the contestants according to the criteria and indicators studied and prove the formative impact of active sports activity on the moral culture of the personality. The inquiry analysis carried out by place of residence shows that the research effect on the behavior of contestants has greater values for those living in larger cities.