Exploring coaches’ competence as a predictor of athletes’ sports achievement in south-south Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63750/wsj2q584Keywords:
Coaches, competence, Athletes, sports achievment, NigeriaAbstract
This study explores the predictive relationship between coaches’ competence and athletes’ sports achievement in South-South Nigeria, with particular attention to gender and type of sports involved in by the athletes. The study adapted the Feltz et al.’s (1999) coaching competence model, and examined how specific dimensions of coaching competence such as motivation, game strategy, technique, and character building relate to athletes’ sports performance outcomes. A correlational research design was adopted, involving 1,402 athletes selected from a population of 4,669 through multistage sampling from sports commissions and universities across six states in the South-South region of Nigeria. Data were collected using a validated instrument, the Coaches' Competence and Athletes’ Sports Achievement Questionnaire (CCASAQ), and analysed with Pearson’s product-moment correlation and Fisher’s Z transformation. Findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between coaches’ competence and athletes’ achievement. Moreover, the relationship was stronger among female athletes compared to their male counterparts, and more pronounced in team sports than in individual sports. The study highlights the critical role of coaching competence in shaping athlete performance and recommends sustained investment in coach development programs to enhance sports outcomes across diverse athlete populations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 DR. Christopher O. Aluya (Author)
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