Accelerated maturation of children integrated into sports activities as a social phenomenon

The paper analyzes the problem of accelerated maturation of children-athletes with reference to the theories of socialization and constructing their own maturation. To study the stated problem the theoretical and applied works of the researchers N. V. Veselkova and E. V. Pryamikova, aimed at revealing the social nature of the maturation competence, as well as two author's sociological researches were used. The first is "Longevity in sports of highest achievements", which was carried out by the method of questionnaire survey of high-class athletes (n = 400 people). The second is "Temporality as a factor of intensification of growing up", conducted by the method of focus-group of veteran athletes (n = 17 people) was realized at the Department of General Sociology and Social Work of National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod in 2023. The object of the study is the process of accelerated maturation of children integrated into the sphere of sports activities. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors contributing to the intensifi cation of the process of growing up of children-athletes. As a result, the author's interpretation of the concept of "accelerated maturation" of child athletes is proposed. The system of factors contributing to the accelerated maturation of this category of population is revealed: individualization and autonomy of the subject, temporality of sports space, enhanced social mobility of children in the fi eld of sports, critical thinking, success of minors as a result of achievements in sports and recognition of their merits in society.