ROLES OF SUPPORTIVE STAFF IN ENHANCING ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM THE NASARAWA STATE SPORT COUNCIL IN NATIONAL SPORT FESTIVALS

Abstract

The observed falling standard in sports performance and a decrease in the number of medals won called for the concern of the researchers to undertake this study. This paper examined the roles of the Supportive Staff of the Nasarawa State Sport Council on athletes’ performance in National Sport Festivals. One hundred and ninety-eight (198) questionnaires were administered to the respondents, of which one hundred and seventy-four (174) copies were retrieved. An ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study, while Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that the roles of Supportive Staff of Nasarawa State Sport Council correlate positively with athletes’ performance (number of medals won by the athletes during National Sport Festivals). The researchers concluded that   Supportive staff play a prominent role in motivating athletes in the national sports festival, which influenced their performance. They provide social support to athletes in sporting events, which indicates a strong relationship with athletes’ performance during the national sports festival. Finally recommended that the supportive staff of the Nasarawa State Sport Council should continue to closely monitor the athletes and offer useful advice, encouragement, and show concern for an improved maximum performance.