7_Yellowe_STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION AND ENHANCED[1].pdf

8/6/2019 7_Yellowe_STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION AND ENHANCED[1].pdf

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STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION AND ENHANCED

PERFORMANCE IN COLLEGIATE SPORTS A WAY OF MANAGING

SPORTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

BY

E. O. YELLOWE

&

G. U. A. EKPO, Ph.D.

Department of Human Kinetics, Health and Safety Education

Rivers State College of Education,

Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

This paper examines strategies for a successful participation and enhanced performance

in collegiate sports a way of managing sports in tertiary institutions. The writers

discuss the concept of sport, success as in NICEGA and give incidences of strategies for

successful performance of athletes in sports. This paper identifies ten predictors of

enhancing athletes performance in intercollegiate sport. It also discusses how to manage

the success from the sports competition. The writers believe that if the recommendations

made are seriously adhered to, then athletes performance would be better improved.

Introduction

Sport as a social agent brings people of different sexes, ages, cultures and religious

settings together as participating athletes and spectators alike, to make use of their free

time to entertain themselves; and being an instrument of promoting unity, understanding

and fostering peace among tertiary institutions. In support of this, Samarach (1996) in

Babalola and Oyeniyi (2003) opines that sport is education, sport is life and sport brings

people together. Ogunmola (2002) opines that sport is a powerful force in uniting racial,

African Journal of Education and Developmental Studies . Vol. 6., No. 1, September, 2009

http://www.ajeds.com


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tribal or social divisions within a community of a nation, and a unique factor that brings

people together in a meaningful way.

The development of sport in Nigeria through Nigerian Colleges of Education

Games (NICEGA) is no longer news; though it still serves as a medium of promoting

sports in the various participating Colleges of Education - a forum for selecting athletes

for state, national and international competitions. Some colleges have benefited

immensely from hosting NICEGA competitions by having their sports complex

developed and/ or improved upon, as in the case of Rivers State College of Education ,

Port Harcourt tagged RIVSCOE 94 ; FCE ,Osun State 2005 ; FCE , Obudu 2007 in

Calabar , just to mention but a few .

Successful management and administration of collegiate sports spurs the tertiary

institutions to have their athletes (students) participate in the competitions. This however,

requires the effective effort, ability and application of strategies by knowledgeable

administrators and managers to have a successful and well organized competition that

will bring about a successful participation and enhanced performance, having in mind the

consequences of poor management of sports.

Strategies for Successful and Enhanced Performance in Sports

To facilitate the process of attaining peak performance and enhancing chances of

winning in sports competitions, participating tertiary institutions have to seriously

prepare for the competition by sincerely engaging in the areas discussed as follows:

1. Planning: One of the simplest, but costliest mistakes in sports is the inability toplan ahead in preparation for a competition. This, no doubt has affected our states

and national teams in both national and international competitions. Tertiaryinstitutions fail to succeed in collegiate sports because they fail to give enough

attention to long term strategic and corporate planning. Agbato (1999), and

Akanni (1991) in Fason (2003) agreed that planning is necessary; hence it is the

road map which will help the manager to decide for one or more specific courses

of action that will involve establishment of standards.

STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION AND ENHANCEDPERFORMANCE IN COLLEGIATE SPORTS

A WAY OF MANAGING SPORTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS



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2 Training: Sports training for athletes in preparation for competitions is as seriousas the collegiate sport is very essential. Sports training should be well

programmed and thoroughly structured in such a way that it will benefit the

athletes (students) in the tertiary institutions. The training session should not

encroach into the athletes academic work/study, having in mind that their major

aim for being in the institution is to study and become graduates. Sports

participation in this case is secondary. Schedule for training periods therefore,

should take cognizance of the holiday periods when athletes could be called

(invited) into camps. It is commonly believed that training has a profound impact

on athletes productivity and quality of input (Wodi, 2004).

Athletes training must be strengthened in order to improve or enhance their

performance in the competitive games.

3 Health of the athletes: It is quite unfortunate that sports administrators do notpay attention to the health of athletes. Some affected Nigerian athletes stopped

honouring invitations to represent Nigeria in international competitions, while

some athletes are bedridden today (either at home or in the hospital), and some

already dead. These athletes are left to their fate in pains, penury, agony and

shame, only waiting hopelessly for the miracle of God to change their situations.

Similarly, this incident occurs in tertiary institutions as school administration and

those in- charge of sports do not care for the sportsmen and women. As a result

of inadequate or lack of medical care of sportsmen and women, we have

witnessed many potential athletes retiring prematurely from participation in

sports due to injuries (Ogunmola, 2002).

Care of the athletes health would go a long way to enhance their

performance in sports. The work of Ojo (2002) states that non availability of

health services could be dangerous to the health of the athletes during sports

participation hence, the athlete who sustained an injury during sports needs

urgent health services. But where this is not made available, there is the tendency




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that the athlete will perform poorly in sports as a result of the carefulness during

sports and phobia of sustaining injury.

4. Sports Equipment /Facility: This is an essential factor to the enhancement ofsports performance of athletes. Sports performance is aided by good equipment

and facility that are used during training sessions and competitions. Similarly, the

use of faulty equipment or dilapidating facility or non-availability of same may

cause injury to the users and/ or results to poor performance of the athletes (Ojo,

2002). Babalola et al (2003) maintain that the type of facilities and equipment

made available for athletes use in competitions may encourage not only injury

but poor performance in sports.

5. Attitude / Knowledge of the Sports Coach: Excellence in sports depends on theavailability of the staff or coach. Good coaching is a tool for success in contests,

and without a knowledgeable and experienced coach, a team is bound to perform

poorly in sports. According to Fasan (2003), victory in sports would only be

achieved through adequate coaching.

Wole and Toro (2003) admitted that poor coaching can contribute to poor sports

performance. The use of harsh words or languages, quarrels, abusive words on the

athletes could upset them during the game /events. The coaches being at war

against themselves could also offset the athletes who may not be given attention

during the games, and as a result may lead to poor performance (Babalola et al,

2003).

6. Attitude and Experience of the Athletes: Crisis among the athletes themselvescould bring about poor performance in any competitive sports. In a situation

where the athletes fight, quarrel in their hostels and extend same into the field of

play could cause one not to co-operate with team mate(s), particularly those

directly involved .Moreover, athletes who are not knowledgeable or experienced

(skillful) in the game/event would perform better.





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7. Poor Knowledge of Rules and Regulations: Lack of in-depth knowledge of rulesand regulations of some games and competitions by coaches and athletes can

bring about poor performance (Babalola et al, 2003).

8. Athletes Feeding System: The present study involved diet manipulation and itseffect on the athletes performance in competitive sports, such as NICEGA. The

host college or institution regulates the price of food per plate, not minding the

quality of the food sold by the vendors. Same applies to the athletes who as a

result of the feeding allowances approved by their colleges possibly may want to

save some money for their books and other needs, may want to look at the

quantity and not the quality of food, which results to eating junks. This at the

end brings about health problems that affect athletes performance. Agbo and

Alkali (2002) examined nutrition and nutrition education in relation to sports

performance among university athletes and found that a well planned dietary

regiment taken according to specification has a significant positive effect in sports

performance.

9. Finance and Motivation: Higher institutions attitude to sponsoring collegiatesports has been a big problem to both the coaches and athletes in their various

colleges and institutions. The administrators find it difficult to release money to

sponsor athletes and officials to sports competitions, besides athletes paying their

sports fees embedded in the students school fees.

Sometimes, the finance is released very late which results to late preparation for

games. In addition, the athletes are not motivated in any way. Take for example,

athletes are not given concession during admission, hostel accommodation, and

sometimes, examinations written by other students during competitions.

10.Weather: This is a factor for poor sports performance. A scheduled sportscompetition during rainy season will be too cold for athletes who cannot endure

it. Same is applicable to excessive hot/dry season that can hamper the sports




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performance of athletes. A typical example is Gumel90 in Kano State which was

excessively hot. It affected the athletes from the South-West, South- East and

South-South. This should be seriously considered while scheduling for sports

competitions such as NICEGA, NIPOGA and NUGA.

Managing the Success in Collegiate Sports

To manage the success in collegiate sports, it must be the responsibility of everybody

including the School Management, the L. O. C (local organizing committee), the coaches,

athletes, the Government (state), the association executives (such as NICEGA), sponsors,

ministries of sports, education and finance.

Managing success in sports competitions should not be seen only in terms of organizing

competitions or winning laurels, but also in terms of stated objectives. However, to

manage the success in NICEGA could be seen as a process or a method of sustaining the

present state or result and improving on it for the future. It could also be seen as

continuous improvement. To manage NICEGA success, we have to consider the under

listed:

- Human resources- Financial resources- Material resources- Physical resources

The human resources do not only have the coach for the athletes to succeed, but

must include everybody such as the School Management, NICEGA executives, the

athletes, medical doctors, public relation officials, protocol, representatives of

government, ministries and many others.

The financial resources require strong financial backing as well as sound financial

management because it is one thing to have the money and another to spread it to meet

the specific needs. In most developed countries, funding of sports has less input from

government and more input from private sector. However, in the case of NICEGA the

opposite is the case. Muller (2000) and Preuss (2000) agree that the Olympic Games





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were entirely financed by private sponsors thereby increasing the number of countries

bidding to host the Olympic Games.

The marketers of NICEGA have never been sincere and faithful to the association

in providing the financial and material resources needed for the competition. Education

Trust Fund (ETF) has done a lot in terms of providing physical structures to the host

colleges. Therefore, to successfully manage NICEGA success, there is the need to

undertake the following:

- Planning- Organizing- Co-ordinating- Motivating- Communicating- Monitoring- Staffing

The management of collegiate sports such as NICEGA should be given adequate and

thorough attention required so that it will not fail in its value and objectives for which it

was established (Oloruntoba & Paschal, 2002).

The Role of Institutionalized Bodies in Managing NICEGA Success

Institutionalized bodies such as the NAPHER-SD, NUGA, NIM, NMA, NICEGA,

Nigeria Coaches Association, Man O War can assist to manage the success of NICEGA.

Man O War could be used with other students union bodies and/or volunteers for

security of lives and properties during the competition. Fine and Applied Arts students in

conjunction with NAPHER-SD could also be used to design the games logo.

SWANs responsibility is to advertise the games, sell the competition and the athletes

who excel in the competition in the print and electronic media.

The Nigeria Coaches Association should identify and market the champion and skillful

athletes (talents) to clubs both at home and abroad. This group could as well raise funds

to sponsor the competition.




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The NICEGA executives should ensure that the stated objectives of NICEGA are

achieved, be accountable to the members of the association and colleges alike. They

should also seek the opinions of members so as to know their strong and weak points for

possible improvement.

Conclusion

The success of NICEGA competitions and the effective performance of athletes in

the competition depend largely on the strategies applied by the institutions and their

various coaches. Inter-collegiate sports in Nigeria have witnessed successes and

problems, largely with successes that have not been properly or not managed at all.

Consequently, this paper critically analyzes the factors responsible and recommended

ways of managing the success of NICEGA.

REFERENCES

Agbo, A. A. & Alkali, R. T. (2002). Nutrition education as a process in national sportsdevelopment: Issues and prospects.JOSMER, 1(1), 126.

Babalola, J. F. & Oyeniyi, P. O. (2003). Curbing sport hooliganism during collegiateSport in Nigeria. West Africa Journal of Physical & Health Education

(WAJOPHE), 7,60-61.

Fasan, C. O. (Ed.) (2003). Managing Olympic success: the centennial and millennialOlympic experience.ICHPER-SD, 34-37.

Obiyemi, W. & Abayomi, T. (2003). Players exposure to training as antidote forproducing champion teams. KHPHER-SD, 87-88.

Ojo, R.A. (Ed.) (2002). The place of injury prevention in sports development in Nigeria.

JOSMER, 1 (1),122.

Oloruntoba, I. O. & Paschal, A. (2002). Sports management techniques as a function ofnational sports development.JOSMER 1(1), 54.

Preuss, H. (2000).Economics of the Olympic games. South Wales: Walla Walla Press

Wodi, S. W. (Ed) (2004). Pre-job training and the earning of oil and gas servicing

companies employees in Port-Harcourt.AJEDS, 1 (1),139.




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7_Yellowe_STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION AND ENHANCED[1].pdf