Abstract: This article is dedicated to the question of psychological and pedagogical support of children in sports. The three stages of psychological and pedagogical support are determined: 1) athlete selection using psychological-pedagogical means and mechanisms; 2) continuous support in the process of athletic training; 3) monitoring of changes of psychological-pedagogical characteristics. The authors examine the details peculiarities of the first stage – athletes selection; highlights the key psychological-pedagogical characteristics of an athlete that must be considered at that stage; neurodynamic, emotional, cognitive, personality orientation, and specificities of interpersonal skills of a child. The main trends in psychological and pedagogical support of athletically gifted children are determined: diagnostic, consultative, and monitoring. The authors come to the conclusion that psychological and pedagogical support of an athletically gifted child is a complex and multi-aspect process, implying the life-long side by side journey of a pedagogue-psychologist and an athlete. The fundamental goal of the modern Russian higher school consists in preparation of sport psychologists-tutors with all essential competences for supporting such children.

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the questions of comprehensive support of athletically gifted children, as well as raises the topics related to the ambiguity of interpretation of the phenomenon of giftedness in the scientific literature. Examination is conducted on the key trends in studying giftedness, such as factors of development of giftedness, structural-functional area, and procedural-genetic algorithm. The authors suggest comprehensive approach towards working with athletically gifted children, implying symbiosis of the three main directions: 1) diagnostic – aimed at determination and capturing the key indicators of physical, psychophysiological, psychological, social and other important characteristics of a child; 2) forming-corrective – a set of measures aimed at the formation of essential personality traits and parameters, their development and adjustments in accordance with the conditions and requirements of a particular type of sports activity; 2) proactive – aimed at timely prevention and identification of possible difficulties in training of athletes, as well as consideration of potential impact factors, risk zones, and “critical” moments. The analysis and classification of the existing scientific directions on studying giftedness is performed. The authors propose the original comprehensive approach towards working with athletically gifted children that includes three main directions: diagnostic, forming-corrective and proactive, which would allow coordinating the selection and psychological-pedagogical supports of children at all stages of their athletic training.