CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF ODEDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Sports are very popular all over the world because of the diverse purposes they serve.Bucher and Krotee (2002) opined that sportscontribute to character building, discipline, economy, ideology, patriotism, education, mentaldevelopment, human communication, physical fitness, and health.

Sports competitions,seminars, conferences and meetings of various types provide the opportunity for individualsfrom different countries to exchange ideas and knowledge which in turn would be ofimmense benefit in educating the citizens of their countries.

Morakinyo (2002) observed thatsports as a social phenomenon has grown from its humble beginning of being anentertainment and recreation pastime to become a visible and prominent businessphenomenon that could no longer be ignored in the social, political and economicenvironment of any nation. Many great nations and societies of the world have realized thatparticipation in sports is the key to a healthy development of their citizens, and have used it todevelop their young ones, attaining a success that science, religions and politics have failed toachieve. Sporting activities have as well permeated the Nigerian society just as many othersocieties worldwide and also all aspects of societal life such as politics and religion.

Awosika(2003) described sports as a symbol that has become a unifying factor in Nigeria and views itas an essential ingredient for nation building, which cuts across all barriers ethnic, religiousor social, and has served as a medium for the development of youths.

Onifade (2003) viewed sports as an institutionalized competitive activity thatinvolves vigorous physical exertion or the use of relatively complex physical skill byindividuals. Sports in the context of this study are defined as games and plays of low and highorganization within the secondary school setting. Such games and plays may or may not becompetitive but may encourage greater students’ participation.

Collins (2005) defined sports development as a processwhereby effective opportunities, processes, systems and structures that are set up to enable andencourage people in all or particular groups and areas to take part in sport for recreation or toimprove their performance to whatever level they desire.

The Federal Republicof Nigeria Sports Development Policy (2009), segmented sports development into fivedistinct components: international sports, indigenous sports, stadium management, sportsfederations and institutional sports.

International Sports arises because sports regularly cross international boundaries.Defining International sports as having an impact on more than one nation, Masteralexis,Barr and Hums (2005) noted that it is extremely difficult to name sports that are unaffectedby international influences.

Indigenous sports refer to traditional sports and games that have been practiced inNigeria all over the years, even before colonialism and western education. The traditionalsports and games then were basically for leisure and recreational activities, some of whichreflect the cultural heritage and religious background of the people in Nigeria in general.

Akinemi (2008) give some people examples of indigenous sports in Nigeria include Ayo (Seed game),Langa (Hopping game), Kokawa (Traditional wrestling), Aarin (African billiards game), andDambe (Traditional boxing). Indigenous sports encourage indigenous people to be moreactive and to play sport at all levels. It increase opportunities for indigenous peopleto learn the skills needed to organise, deliver, and manage community based sport, and toensure indigenous people talented

Stadiums facilities are designed to accommodate large group of people who want tobe entertained at a sport or an entertainment event. Stadium management as a component of sports development involves financing new stadiums or renovations of old ones, retaining therevenue generated by the stadium and preparing fully integrated security programmes.

Sports Federations are the organizations governing a specific sport within eachcountry. Examples of sports federation in Nigeria include the Nigerian Football Federation(NFF), Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), and Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria(TSFN) among others. These organizations are responsible for approving and sanctioningcompetitions open to all athletes in the country. They set the national policies and eligibilitystandards for participation in their respective sports.

Sports federations are also responsiblefor the training, development, and selection of teams in their respective sports for variouscompetitions in various institutions.Institutional sports here refer to school sports (Primary, Secondary & TertiaryInstitutions). Secondary school sport is the focus of this study, consideringthe role secondaryschool sports play in the early identification of sports talents and sports development.

Sports development in Nigeria has witnessed a lot of metamorphosis from thecolonial, pre-independence to independence eras. Prior colonial incursion, dancing, acrobaticdisplays and wrestling featured prominently as part of ceremonies in Nigerian societies(Ikulayo, 2004).

A constraint according to Hornby (2001) is a thing that limits or restricts. Quirk(2003) perceived constraint as something that limits ones freedom of doing what he wants to do. In the context of this study, constraints to sports development refer to those things such aslack of qualified sports personnel and adequate and suitable facilities and equipment amongothers that limit the development of sports in secondary schools in Odeda Local Government, Ogun State.

Abeku(2000)An important instrument for the attainment of theabove objective would have been emphasizing the implementation of the regular school sportsystem and its physical education programme at all levels of schooling (primary, secondaryand tertiary). School sports constitute an important and inseparable stage in the pursuit oflong term development objectives of sports, the athlete, the national and sports organizations.(Vencateswarlu, 2000).

Musa (2009) noted that secondary school age bracket constitute the critical period foracquisition and mastery of sports skills. This is a unique and fascinating period in humandevelopment because students are usually in their formative period of development.

Secondary sports is a setting to encourage adolescents tobegin and maintain a physically active life style and also to acquire and develop highstandard skills for major games and sportsSecondary school sports connote competitions particularly in football, athletics and afew popular sports.

According toMorakinyo and Aluko (2010), the administration of any organization is a function thatrequires personal/professional preparation on the part of the personnel. Sport is a technicalarea that requires adequate preparation for those that will manage it at any level.

Bucher, Koening and Barnhard (2000), stated that no physical education and sport caneffectively be carried out without adequate facilities and equipment. It is obvious that idealfacilities and equipment.

Nji (2010). The above statement rationalizes their inclusion in the present study. Thisalso goes for the game prefects who as student athletes lack the opportunity for properparticipation in sports due to certain constraints to development of sports.Various researchers and authors in Physical Education, such as Morankinyo andAluko (2010), had outlined some factorssuch as quality of sports personnel, government policy, funding of sport, sport facilities andequipment and sport programs to be implicated in poor secondary schools for development ofsports. This study therefore attempts to concretely examine in the light of the foregoing theconstraints that impede development of sports in secondary schools in Odeda Local Government, Ogun State.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The Report of the Vision 2020 National Technical Working Group on SportsDevelopment (2009) recognized the weaknesses that exist in the conduct and organization ofsports in Nigeria and Nigerian schools in particular, and recommended among othersstatutory provisions such as to enhance sports development in schools and communities. TheNigerian sports structure is such that the secondary school offers the main sportingopportunities for her citizens and it is the key for early discovery of talented athletes.

Onifade (2009) explained that this opportunity for organized sports at the secondary schoollevel is most logical, especially as many Nigerians appear to terminate their formal educationat the secondary school level. It would, therefore, make reasonable sense to have strongsecondary school sports structure in order to easily identify early talented athletes.This may have explained the reason why the Nigeria School Sports Federation(NSSF) was introduced in 1976 to bring about enhanced growth and development of sports insecondary schools in Nigeria, the achievement of this laudable goal by NSSF is still questionable inNigeria, especially in secondary schools like the ones in Ogun State Education Zone. Availablerecords at the Ogun State Sports office (Post Primary School ManagementBoard of Ogun State Zone, 2011) shows that there are hardly any organized sportscompetitions among secondary schools in the zone, also personal observation and experiencehas shown that there is a low level of participation by secondary school students in sportingcompetition and that Odeda Local Government Zone scarcely feature prominently at the state andnational sports competition. It is not yet ascertained the veracity of the claim about thealready speculated factors as constituting constraints to sports development in secondaryschools in Odeda Education Zone. This study therefore is to examine if the identifiedconstraints also impact sports development in secondary schools in Odeda Local Government, Ogun State.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine the constraints to development of sports insecondary schools (A case study of Odeda Local Government, Ogun State).

1.4       Research Questions

1.      Would inadequate personnel be a constraintsto sport development in Odeda Local Government Seconded Schools?

2.      Would government policy be a constraint to sportsdevelopment in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools?

3.      Would inadequate funding be aconstraint tosports development in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools?

4.      Would inadequate provision of sport facilitiesand equipment to be a constraint to sports development in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools?

5.      Would students attitude to sport programmes be a constraint to development of sports inOdeda Local Government Secondary Schools?

1.5       Research Hypotheses

1.      Inadequate personnel would not significantly be a constraint to sports development in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools.

2.      Government policy would not significantly be a constraint to sports development in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools.

3.      InadequateFundingwould not significantly be aconstraint tosports development in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools.

4.      Inadequate provision of sport facilities and equipment will not significantly be a constraint to sport development in Odeda Local Government Secondary Schools?

5.      Students attitude to sport programmes would not significantly be a constraint to development of sports inOdeda Local Government Secondary Schools?

1.6       Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is on the theory of constraints on which this studywill be. This theory emphasizes that every organization or system has one keyconstraint or the other which inhibits the system’s performance to meet its objectives andtoachieve the objectives of the system.

The findings of this study will provide thebasis for development of a package for government, sports administrators, and athletes onhow to eliminate or reduce the constraints.

The findings on the constraints associated with government policy will show theimportance of appropriate policies which will enable other policy makers to not only developpolicies but also ensure that it is implemented effectively.

The study will generate data on constraints associated with funding of sports. Thisinformation will be useful to secondary school sport administrators as it will enable themidentify various sources of fund and the need for proper management of funds for sportsdevelopment..

Data will also be generated on the constraints associated with the inadequacy of sport facilities and equipment. This will enable school sports administrators, andathletes to adopt better ways of making effective use of available facilities and equipment inthe school, and also the need for improvisation of facilities and equipment not available.

Finally, the finding which will emanate from the constraints associated with students attitude to sportprogrammes will enable game masters/mistresses to be better equipped with knowledge of the various sports programmes in the secondary school and be able to harness them forthe development of sports.

1.7       Scope of the Study

This study will be delimited to:

-          someselected secondary schools in Odeda Local Government.

-          to sportspersonnel,

-          sports facilities and equipment,

-          funding,

-          government policy and

-          sportsprogrammes for the development of sports.

1.8       Limitation of the Study

The main limitation of this study will be transportation problems due to poor road network system and long distance from one school to another. Therefore, the study will be limited to the areas that are easily accessible.

1.9       Definition of Terms

Constraint: a limitation or restriction

Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment or competition.

Secondary Schools:  A secondaryschool is both an organization that delivers education and the building where this takes place. 

Secondary School: An educational institution for young people between the ages of 11years and 18years.