Stages and phases of the development of sports mastery of football players from the perspective of age characteristics in the context of competitive activity

The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical justification for the stages and phases of the development of football players' sports mastery within the framework of a long-term training cycle, taking into account the age-related characteristics of participation in competitions. Research methods: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, documentary and archival materials, generalization, analogy, comparison. Research results and conclusions. The results of the study identified the stages of the development of sports mastery among football players within a long-term training cycle (educational and training stage, stage of improvement of sports mastery, stage of elite sports mastery), which are determined by the features of age and sports ontogeny and are associated with the development of the entire complex of abilities (motor, perceptual, cognitive) necessary for performing competitive exercises according to the rules of the game of 'football.' The developed stages of the formation of sports mastery, synchronized with the identified stages (educational and training stage and adaptation stage, stage of improvement of sports mastery and individualization stage, stage of elite sports mastery and integration stage), take into account the processes of professionalization and socialization within teams of various competitive levels, which defines new opportunities for enhancing the process of long-term training of sports reserves in football.