Qualified Coaches as a Requisite for Enhanced Sports Performance of Cross River State at National Sports Festival

Abstract

This study investigates qualified coaches as a requisite for enhanced sports performance of Cross River State at National sports festival. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design of Expost-facto type. The study population consists of 344 sports personnel in the six (6) local government headquarters hosting the six zonal sports offices of the state adopting the total enumeration technique. The questionnaire was the main instrument used to elicit information from 344 sports personnel, out of which 270 (78.5%) copies of the questionnaire were duly completed and returned. The data collected were analyzed using frequency count, percentages and table with the aid of SPSS Version 21. The findings show that personnel have working experience, 65 accounting for 57% rated higher. Coaches had teacher’s Grade II Certificate, while some on the whole had professional certificate 2 and few were graduates. The study also revealed that two sports which are judo and wrestling have 1 – 2 coaches each while there are 3 – 4 Coaches each in badminton, basketball, tennis, squash, swimming and volleyball. Athletics, handball, soccer, and table tennis have more than 4 coaches while boxing, cricket, cycling, hockey, marathon taekwondo and weight lifting had no coach at all. The coach should have Psychological and communicative knowledge and ability, as an analyzer, a coach needs the appropriate analytical tool together with theoretical and real-life pattern of interpretation in order to initiate a formulation of the problem that is appropriate to the client’s particular issue and specify objective to bring about change. A coach should be able to reflect on both his analyses as well as his methods with regard to the underlying conception of humanity.