Objective of the study was to theoretically substantiate and test practical benefits of a new pre-season mental conditioning model for the 8-9 year old tennis players. Methods and structure of the study. We sampled the 8-9 year old trainees of the Siberian Tennis Center (n=20) for the mental conditioning model testing experiment and split them up into Experimental and Reference Groups (EG, RG). The EG training was complemented by theoretical and practical mental conditioning model of our design; and RG was trained in the traditional system with standard mental conditioning elements. The experimental mental conditioning model included 18 hours of lectures and practices in the following subjects: performance visualizing techniques; pre-season behavioral control; relaxing and activating techniques; positive controlled thinking during matches; competitive mental fitness; and target mental qualities [1, 3]. The group mental fitness was tested by the pre- and post-experimental tests. Note that the intergroup differences of the pre-experimental test data were insignificant (p> 0.05). Results and conclusions. The study data and analyses showed benefits of the new pre-season mental conditioning model for the 8-9 year old tennis players as verified by the model testing experiment at the Siberian Tennis Center in Tomsk. The new mental conditioning model may be recommended for application in the national sport schools that offer youth tennis training services for pre-season mental conditioning and competitive progress.
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