Factors Influencing the Choice of Athletic
Events Among University Athletes In South
–Western Nigeria
Ibrahim, Tajudeen o.
Physical and Health Education Department,
University of Ilorin,
Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria.
And
Ogedengbe, Daniel Ohio
Physical and Health Education Department,
Federal Collage of Education (Special),Oyo
Oyo state, Nigeria.
Abstract
The study investigated the factors influencing the choice of athletic
events among University Athletes in South –Western Nigerian. One
hundred and twenty (120) randomly selected athletes from three (3)
different Universities in South-Western Nigerian were used for the
study.University of Ibadan,University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo
University.Four (4) hypotheses on influence of financial incentive,
scholarship award, becoming a professional athlete and socialization
were formulated and investigated with validated questionnaire
administered on all subjects, the statistical analyses of chi –square (x2)
was used to analyses the data at 0.05 alpha level of significance. It was
however found from the findings that, financial incentive, scholarship
award, desire to become a professional athlete and socialization
motivated University athletes to choose athletic events. Based on the
findings of this study, it was recommended that adequate financial
incentive, scholarship award and avenue for free interaction should be
provided for athletes to pursue a professional career in athletic events.
Introduction
Sports
today is truly global in scope sporting events are
accomplished with consuming interest by the people of many
countries. Gbadamosi (2000) opined that sports is a unifying factor that
unties human beings, regardless of race, gender class and other
parameter. Awosika (1997) buttressed that sport constitute a
fundamental and extensive phase of culture all over the world. He
explained further that, sports permeate many numbers of levels of
contemporary society and it touches upon and deeply influences such
disparate elements as status, race relation business life, automotive
design and so on.
Over many decades, participation in sports has taken new
dimension. It is no longer news that both professional and amateur
athletes now abound in both developed and developing countries. The
great extent to which athletic participation in sport has grown is
obviously borne out of the diverse motives which now attract people to
sports, especially at the collegiate level where they receive many
benefits from participation in sports.
In the case of Nigeria school system as in other countries of the
world, such sports programmes according to kienka (1990) are aimed at
achieving goals such as developing of physical qualities of both young
men and women, forming and performing motor skills preparing for
working conditions and instilling specific qualities and better life.
Daughtry and Wood (1976)agreed that they are design to help alleviate
such problems as emotional instability, sedentary living, delinquency
and crime
However, there are several factors that may have contributed to
the athletes having interest in sports , Ikulayo (1990) & Adesoye (1997)
explained that apart from motivation, many variables within
competitive environment affect level of motivation. Such variables
include absence of audience, the composition of audience, the positive,
neutral or negative attitude of the audience, the climate conditions,
sports facilities and equipment. As also explained by Ebewele (2002)
and Odegbami (2002) that unavailability of sporting facilities is an
impediment to the development of football and other sports in Nigeria.
If these equipment and facilities are provided, according to Flippo
(1980) and Festinger(1986)they will become goals towards which
behaviour is directed.
Moreover, Omoruan (1996) opined that socio-economic
stratification makes for the automatic participation in sports. For
instance, the game of polo is only for those who can afford to maintain
horses. Even government is heading towards privatization of the
government owned sport facilities. Just as Adebayo (2001) asserted
that the former Minster of sport, late I.M Aku on 6th October, 2001
lamented that all stadia and by extension, all sporting facilities in the
country would be commercialized. Contrarily, Lumpkin, stroll and Bellar
(1999) stressed that commercialized sports and the associated
pressures to win usually affect moral values, often negatively.
Another motivating factor compelling athlete to participate
in sport is peer groups or friends as it was confirmed by Daramola
(1991) and Akintunde (2001) that the peer group is the people’s own
friends and equals. Also, it may be organized groups like clubs, society,
fighting gangs, character building agencies like Boys Scout, Girls Guide
and so on. Membership may be small or large which promote the
activity through publication and sponsoring of meetings, exhibits or
even competition, Kerr (1988) further confirmed that voluntary
organizations provide lots of information and reading lists, regular
newsletter or magazines with contribution from parents,
philanthropists and well meaning individual. They often provide
information on education, equipment, play holiday and other sports
No human institution is more important in all culture than the
family. United Nation (1995) recommended that there is need to
develop ‘family sensitive’, social and economic strategies, polices and
programme not only at responding to the need of vulnerable families
but also at identifying the ‘family impact’ of polices and programmes
more generally. Thus Farkash (2002) and Akintunde (2001) stressed
that if the family possesses numerous articles related to sports and
recreation, the children are more likely to be participants. However,
modern homes develop much space to sports and recreational use.
Sports participation especially athletic events have taken various
dimensions in higher institutions of learning especially at the University
level. It is observed that the quest for track and field events is at
increase among university students. Some after trying ball games and
other games prefer athletic event. It is therefore necessary to
investigate the factor influencing the choice of athletic events among
university athletics in South-Western
Methodology
The sample was made up of 120 male and female athletes
from three Universities of Ibadan, Oyo State, University of Lagos, Lagos
State, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Forty (40)
athletes were selected from each University USING Convenient
Sampling Technique.
A self developed and structured questionnaire on 4 point
Likert Format with weight allotment of Strongly Agree, Agree,
Disagree,Strongly Disagree. Section ‘A’ was on demographic data of the
respondents while section ‘B’ elict responses on factors influencing the
choice of athletic event among University athletes in South-Western
Nigeria. The questionnaire was duly validated by the experts in field of
physical and Health Education. To ascertain its reliability, twenty copies
of the questionnaire were administered on athletes in the Lagos State
University, The data was collected and subjected to Cromach alpha to
determine the internal consistence of the instrument. The co-efficient
‘r’ obtained was 0.89 co-efficient. Responses were later computed to
establish statistical significance at 0.05 level of significance.
FINDINGS
Table 1: Financial incentive and athletic events
N=120
Cal. X2
Vaiue
Variables
Financial
Incentives
and
athletic
29.11
DF
8
Crt.
value
16.51
Decision
On HO
Rejected
events
P ≥ 0.05 LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE.
Table 1 showed that finical incentive as a factor influenced the
choice of athletic events was significant at 0.05 alpha level with chisquare value of 29.11, Degree of freedom of 8 and critical value of
16.51. Meaning that the calculated value was higher than the table
value, and the hypothesis was rejected. Therefore, accepting the fact
that the financial incentive was an influencing factor in the choice in
South-Western Nigeria.
Table 2: Scholarship award and athletic events
N= 20
Variables
Scholarship
Award and
athletic
events
Cal. X2
value
22.13
DF
8
Crt.
value
16,51
Decision
On Ho
Rejected
P ≥ 0.05 level of significance
Table 2:
showed that scholarship award as a factor
influencing the choice of athletics events was significance at 0.05 alpha
levels. The hypothesis was rejected thus the chi-square value of 22.13,
degree of freedom of 8, was higher than the critical value of 16.51.
Indicating fact that scholarship award as a motivating factor influenced
the choice of athletic events among the university athletes in SouthWestern Nigeria.
Table 3: Becoming a professional athlete and choice of events.
N=120
Variables
Becoming a
professional
athlete and
choice
of
events
Cal. X2
value
17.22
DF
8
Crt.
Value
16.51
Decision
On Ho
Rejected
p≥ 0.05 level of significance
It can be deduced from table 3 above that calculated chisquare value of 16.51 with degree of freedom of 8. Thus the hypothesis
of no significant influence was rejected implying that to become a
professional the choice of athletes in South- Western Nigeria.
Table 4: Socialization and choice of athletic events
N=120
Variables
Socialization
and choice
of athletic
events.
Cal. X2
value
26.42
DF
Crt.
value
Decision
On Ho
8
16.51
Rejected
P ≥ 0.05 level of significance
The results in table 4 showed a calculated chi-square value of
26.42 which was higher that the critical value of 16.51. Therefore, the
hypothesis was rejected which means socliazatin significantly
influenced the choice of athletic events among University athletes in
South- Western Nigeria.
Discussion
The basic focus of this research study was to find out the
factors influencing the choice of athletic events among University
athletes in South-Western Nigeria. Generally, the findings clearly
showed that extrinsic motivation in various forms encouraged the
athletes to partake in and improve their performance in athletic events.
This corrobate the study of Cox(1998) that extrinsic motivation
influence an individual’s overall performances which comes inform of
praise, money award or trophies. In the same time vein, Capald (1987)
opined that award can maximally enhance people participation in an
endeavour when it is given immediately after the task has been
completed.
Pertinently, analysis on table 1 revealed that the null
hypothesis was rejected implying that there was significantly influence
of financial incentive on the choice of athletic events among Nigeria
university athletes. Many respondents agreed that they preferred
athletic events because of financial incentive involved.
Gambari (1991) pointed out that the Nigeria Government has for a very
long time been rewarding those athletes that bring laurel to the
country in the field of sports. But the country started giving cash and
materials award in 1980 when Nigerian Green Eagles won the 12th
African Cup of Nation’s Soccer. This confirmed kind gesture of the late
General Sanni Abacha on the Nigerian
contingent to 1998
Commwealth Games in Canada. Adewumi (1994) stressed that the Gold
Medalist were given the sum of hundred thousand naira (100,000,00)
each,Sliver Medalists, seventy five thousand(75,000,00),Bronze
Medalist fifty thousand (50,000,00) each , While participants who did
not win any laurel received twenty five thousand naira (25,000,00)
each. Contrary, Lumpkin, stroll and Bellar (1999) stressed that making
money is not immoral, when this act is encouraged though, athletes,
coaches and sports managers may be tempted to let a normal value of
money, success, or frame influence moral decisions.
Results obtained from the influence of scholarship award and
choice of athletic events showed that the hypothesis of no significance
was rejected. From the findings of this study, majority of the
respondents agreed that the scholarship award will go a long way in
motivating students in Nigerian University to choose participation in
athletic events. The same view is shared by Ikulayo (1990)who
observed that Los Angels Olympic medalist of 1984 had a superfluous
reception on their arrival from the game, they were awarded
scholarship plus other finicial incentives. This is welcome by Akintudire
(1991) who observed that participation in sporting activities especially
by youth, the world over is following an upward surge due to the
influence of rewards and the need to discover and nurture talents for
the big-time sports competition.
Akintudire (1991) further explained that the need to reward
excellence in sports is why some institution of higher learning offer
athletes positive social regard as status along with the provision of
basic expenses to athletes. Ogundare (2003) discover that an institution
offered dinner for her NUGA cotingent, some offer token monrtary
award to winners another offer scholarship awards to the beast
athletes.
However, majority of the respondents agreed that to become a
professional athlete influenced their choice of athletic events. This is
buttresses by Oduyale and Okundare (2003) that many Nigerian sports
stars roday are product of intramural sports programming both within
and outside the country. Nigerian international athletics stars such as
Brown Ebewele , Moses Oyiki Innocent Egbunike, Yusufu Alli, Henry
Amike and Olapade Adenekan. Therefore, the modest achievements
record at both natural and international competition according to
Obadare (2003) by sports like table tennis, boxing athletics weight
lifting judo, Karate and wrestling have prompted the federation
Government to pump a lot of money to oversee training and buying of
sports equipment. In the same manner, Ekpe (2002) opened that it was
in recognition of wonderful performance of Gloria Alozie in 100m
hurdles that made her have a easy ride in acquiring Spanish citizenship.
The respondents’ view also indicated that athlete’s participated
in sports programmes is also influenced by make friends and to know
prominent people both within and outside the country and abored
before and after they emerged victorious. This is line with the assertion
mae by Adewumi (1994) that a child’s competitive experience in
sportsis likely determined by the quality of intersections with coaches,
the parents, the peers and significantly others; while Awosuka (1997)
explained that there are a host of functions which sport perform for
spectators, participant and society, These social function of sport are
social-emotional, interactive, political, social mobility and socialization.
This is a clear evidence according to Aihkoje (2002) in heroic feat that
was achieved by Nigeria’s Uche Emedolunat 2002 World Athletic Cup in
Spain, has made him to become one of the biggest names in the world
of athletic.bNot only that, he was honored by the president of Nigeria
and ordred astreet to be named after him in Abuja.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, it is discovered that :
1. Financial incentives motivate Nigerian University athletes to
participate in athletic events.
2. Scholarship award is another motivating factor for Nigeria
University athletes to choice athletic events.
3. In a specific term, the desire to becoming a professional athlete is
a motivating factor that prompt University athletes to participate
in athletic events.
4. Socialization is an influencing factor, which motivates athletes to
participate in athletic championship. In order to gain recognition
and to make friends.
Recommendations
1. Adequate financial incentive should be made available to
athletes who win laurels for the University. Moreover, the
rewards should be given immediately the competition is over.
2. Scholarship award should be given utmost consideration
invariably to assist less privileged University athletes who excel
in athletics championships.
3. There should be board channels provided by Nigeria University
Commission (NUC) in collaboration with Nigeria University
Games Association (NUGA) to assist athletes produced in any
University organized athletic championship to pursue their
career as a professional during and after the University
Education
4. There should be freedom for athletes to interact with one
another during and after the competition to enhance their
socialization.
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