Psycho-physiological approach to the problem of giftedness and high-quality sports selection

The article notes that the problem of giftedness (talent) and highquality sports selection cannot be solved only by measuring anthropometric indicators, or only by tests-questionnaires, conversations, interviews, observations, which are dominate in the sports psychologists arsenal of nowadays. Meanwhile, the scientific developments of the national differential psychophysiology, that expand the possibilities for solving the problems indicated in the article, are ignored. The psychophysiological approach proposed by the authors is based on the method for assessing the natural predisposition of the subject to the definite sports specializations that presupposes the algorithm of actions: instrumental measurement of the nervous system’s properties (NSP, or otherwise, – neurodynamic characteristics) by E.P. Ilyin’s motor techniques; determination of the individual neurodynamic characteristics of the subject and their comparison with the known, experimentally identified “model” neurodynamic characteristics, which dominate, in terms of frequency of occurrence, among representatives of high-performance sports. The authors note a well-known scientific fact – the human’s NSP are rather conservative to changes in the growing-up process, which is essential to justification for the proposed psychophysiological approach to the problem of giftedness and selection in sports. The indications of scientific data are also significant, which are confirming the trend that with many possible combinations measuring by NSP, as a part of typological complexes (TC), the number of the latest is steeply reduced to several or even to one, dominating among athletes who have reached a high level of skill. The article states that the knowledge of the model neurodynamic characteristics dominating among representatives of different specializations in high-performance sports is the experimental basis, considering which it becomes possible early (6 years and older) identification of potentially gifted athletes, which is quite practicable if the neurodynamic characteristics of the subject for whom the choice of sports specialization is made are also known. The article notes that the optimization of training programs in the chosen sports specialization is impossible without knowing the severity of natural psychological abilities, peculiarities, and an example is given of such a forecast for athletes with different playing positions (forward, goaltender, defender), where the forecast is based on individual neurodynamic characteristics.