THE MAKING OF CHAMPIONS: Soviet Sports for Children and Teenagers

Sports are doubtless the most widely enjoyed form of after-school activity, and this look at the Soyiet Union's program for youthful athletes is the natural accompaniment to the club and hobby groups introduced in Morton's Pleasures and Palaces (KR, 1972). Unfortunately, the programs of the DIUSH, or children's sports schools, lack the diversity and originality that characterizes the Young Pioneer activity circles, and though Morton stresses the Soviet belief that sports are for everyone and the coaches' emphasis on character-building and developmental values, it's still obvious that the chief goal of the DIUSH is the identification and training of future international competitors. American children with a serious interest in sports would probably wish for more detail on ""scientific"" training methods and routines, but the general reader will surely be impressed by the Russian enthusiasm for fitness and sports in general and by the more exotic (to us) sports taught in the schools Morton visits -- including sambo (a form of Judo), artistic gymnastics, soccer and chess. Morton's informal interviews with coaches and students and many photos add to this uncritical but solidly appealing companion volume.