Methodology for the initial selection of young footballers

The problem of preparing a full-fledged football reserve touches upon a wide range of organizational, methodological, and scientific issues. It is related to the problem of managing the long-term training of young football players. The article deals with the issue of imperfection of the preparation of a highly qualified reserve in modern football and ways to solve this problem. Natural selection does not solve the problem of preparing a qualified reserve, as football academies experience a significant “dropout” of children who play football after a while. A large percentage of young football players stop training after certain periods of time due to ineffective initial selection of children to children's and youth sports schools. The purpose of the study is to improve the process of initial selection of young football players to football academies, children's and youth sports schools. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature, comprehensive testing of young football players in terms of physical (running 30 m, running 300 and 400 m, long jump from a place,) technical (throwing the ball for distance, hitting the ball for distance, shots on goal for accuracy, juggling the ball, driving the ball, circling the posts, kicking the goal) and psychological training, methods of mathematical statistics. The selection of young football players was carried out with the help of game, expert, hardware, test methods, the level of complex preparedness of a young football player was determined. Conclusions: a multi-stage selection of young football players in football academies and football departments of children's and youth sports schools will enable the coaching staffs of these sports institutions to prepare a highly qualified reserve for professional football clubs