10 Management of Physical Education Sports Facilities

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020

MANAGEMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION SPORTS FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Franca Nkoli Ikwuka and Haruna Gabasawa Junaid Department of Physical and Health Education FCT College of Education, Zuba – Abuja Emails: [email protected] and [email protected]

(Received June 5, 2020 and accepted June 16, 2020)

Abstract Sports facilities, equipment and supplies are fundamental to sports development and achievements globally. The management of physical education, sports facilities, equipment and supplies in Nigerian secondary schools lies with those who are in-charge of physical education and sports (Physical and health education teachers, games masters and sports committee) to provide adequate facilities, equipment and supplies for sports administration, competition, recreation and educational purposes. The extent to which sports facilities, equipment and supplies are provided in schools determines sports participation at all levels of education. This paper discusses the concept of sports, facilities, equipment and supplies. It went further to discuss the relevance of sports facilities, equipment and supplies to the management of sports in Nigerian secondary schools and challenges of physical education and sports facilities, equipment and supplies management in Nigerian secondary schools. The paper recommends that adequate and standard facilities, equipment and supplies should be provided for in all public secondary schools in each of the states in Nigeria among others. Keywords: Facilities, Equipment, Sports, Resource management and Physical Education

Introduction Physical education and sports activities have been known to been integral component of the educational programme of all nations of the world. Traditionally, at secondary schools level, facilities, equipment and supplies management are usually the responsibilities of the physical and health education teachers, games masters or sports committee. The relevance of sports facilities, equipment and supplies in teaching and learning of physical and health education and sports in Nigerian secondary schools cannot be overemphasized as they bring 10

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020 about academic excellence. Facilities, equipment and supplies are very vital in the teaching and learning of physical and health education practical lessons in order to bring the lesson to the knowledge level of the students, hence they should be managed and maintained by the authorities responsible for that. Sports form an aspect of physical education. They are activities for enjoyment during leisure hours and they involve competition. Some sports are done individually, or with a partner such as swimming, running, jumping, throwing, cycling, tennis, golf, badminton and squash. Other sports are done in teams such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, among others. All sports have their rules which players must obey. Sports in Nigeria today is not what it is used to be in the past. Nevertheless, in the days gone by Nigeria sports, there was a good deal of national plays on the streets and in alleys adjourning school houses, but there was no organized physical exercise and drills. This was as a result of lack of play grounds (Mohammed, 2006). Sports activities have been known to be integral component of the educational programmes of most people, if not all nations of the world. During the era of Plato, physical education and sports were included as an integral component of the educational system. It is therefore the function of the school to socialize the individuals (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). In most advanced countries of the world, education authorities have recognized the benefits obtained from participation in sports programmes and as such included physical education in their school curriculum as a part of the learning experiences offered to the pupils/ students. The implication is that a lot of resources were put into physical education to enable the youths enjoy a worthy sports programme for their healthy development (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). Sport is a natural part of individual’s life, whether it is for recreational purposes or competition for medals. The opportunity to participate in sporting activities should be understood As a basic human need, which the school system should endeavour to provide. Schools as educational institutions established for the purpose of socialization are to provide opportunity for the development of individuals through sporting activities. The fact that individuals spend substantial part of their time in schools makes it more imperative for schools to provide conducive environment for learning movement skills that could be useful to them in life after school (Kabido, 2006). According to Orunaboka and Nwachukwu (2012), there is a clear indication that the authorities responsible for administration of sports in Nigeria have realized the contributions of the school physical education programmes towards development in Nigeria and are sparing no effort to encourage secondary schools to set up well-structured physical education and sports programmes. This implies that Nigeria secondary schools are now looked upon as one of the fertile grounds for breeding the Nation’s future sports men and women. One of the most important areas of administrative concern of the sports administrators involves the management of facilities and equipment in physical education and sports programmes. The existence of sports facilities and equipment is of vital importance in the conduct of physical education, intramural sports and other sports programmes. The facilities and equipment available in schools for the conduct of sports and games programmes determines to considerable extent the type of sports programmes that can be offered (Anyora, 2013).

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020 Standard facilities and equipment are essential pre-requisites to good and impressive performances in sports at all levels of participation. Different types of activities require different facilities and equipment, consequently therefore, any short face of these facilities and equipment create difficulties in presenting the desired variety of sports activities. Sports facilities and equipment are very essential for any school that is offering physical education. Their presence in the school can enhance physical education and intramural sports. They complement the theoretical aspect of physical education which takes place in the four walls of the classroom. Sports facilities and equipment therefore need proper management and maintenance for effective use and long lasting. The management of sports facilities and equipment is the responsibility of physical educators and sport administrators at all levels. However, sports facilities and equipment in many secondary schools are poorly managed and maintained. This has greatly hampered and reduced sports practices in the schools. Maintenance of adequate facilities and equipment may often be used to constitute a managerial sports programme. In Nigeria, schools that offer physical education and sports require a large variety of facilities and equipment for both internal and external sports programme. The relative needs of the students should be recognized in the planning and purchasing of facilities for their use. Various types of facilities and equipment make teaching and learning more interesting and effective in various physical education courses. Presently, sport at secondary schools in Nigeria is occupying an enviable position having borrowed a leaf from other organizations and agencies which sponsored such sports. In Nigeria today, sports is fast gaining recognition as a way of life of the people. Sports have also become a universal political game, therefore no effort should be spared in encouraging every able bodied person to participate. Sports have been a fertile ground for mass participation for all through physical education programme. It is at primary and secondary schools that the aim of the slogan “catch them young” will be achieved. The importance of physical education and sports in Nigeria secondary schools have been demonstrated by the level of patronage from the government, individuals, private sectors and even the spectators. Excellent physical education and sports programmes in secondary schools according to Orunaboka Nwachukwu (2012) have been matters of interest to many people and government, because physical education and sports have been the avenue through which great nations of the world exhibit their supremacy over others. As a result of advantages and successes recorded in sports and physical education in Nigeria, the government established sports councils, school sports management and other sports bodies to see the management of sports. According to Mohammed (2006), the search for talents by Nigeria sports managers and coaches had long ago shifted to the secondary schools through shell cup for the provision of seasoned sportsmen and women for local and international teams. This becomes so because the secondary schools are formal organization of the society. Sports, today is global in scope and sporting events are followed with great interest by the people of many countries. Sport is an international tool for politics and nationalism. As such it has a means of obtaining recognition and giving attention in the desire of the people. Conceptualization of Sports, Facilities, Equipment and Supplies Sports can be defined according to Ogundairo (2010) as any activity that is competitive in nature and have recorded history and development, rules and regulations involving physical exertions and organized associations such as squash and soccer. All these games have origins and regulations

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020 governing their operations and each of these games has association like Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) for soccer. Sports facilities and equipment are “laboratories” for physical education where games are performed or played and consequently, facilities and equipment are important for achievement of goals of physical education and sports. Sports facilities therefore connote permanent structure built for the sporting activities such as athletic track, stadia, soccer pitches, basketball court, tennis courts, squash court and gymnasium (Ogundairo, 2010). Sport equipment on the other hand refers to those disposable items used in sports such as horizontal bars, weight lifting materials, basketball post, among others (Ogundairo, 2010). Ladani (2004) viewed equipment as those items that are not considered expandable but are utilized over a period of years, such as parallel bars and audiometers. In other words, equipment is the fairly durable materials which are semi-permanent, example, goal posts and basketball stand. Supplies are those materials that are expandable and have to be replaced at frequent intervals such as shuttlecocks and tennis balls (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). Facilities, equipment and supplies are therefore aids or tools to facilitate the teaching of physical education, the coaching of sports and for intramural. Quality supplies and well maintained facilities and equipment are essential to good coaching (Ladani, 2007). Facilities, equipment and supplies represent the tools which the teacher or the coach must have to facilitate learning in the gymnasium, laboratory or on the field. Sports facilities, equipment and supplies in secondary schools sports management Facilities, equipment and supplies provision are important aspect of physical education and sports management. Anejo and Okwori (2004) state that the existence of sports facilities is of vital importance in the conduct of physical education, intramural sports and other sport programmes. They further explained that the facilities available in a school for the conduct of sports and games programmes determine to a considerable extent the type of sports programme that can be offered. Standard facilities are essential pre-requisite to good and impressive performance in sports at all levels of participation. In sports, different types of activities require different facilities. Consequently, any limitation of these facilities creates difficulties in presenting the desired variety of sports activities (Ekanem, 1995). Equipment just like sports facilities also play fundamental roles in the conduct of physical education, intramural sports and other sport programmes. Their availability in the school can determine the type of sports programmes that can be offered in the school (Anejo and Okwori, 2004). Adedeji (2000) stressed that excellent programme is said to be keyword when planning sports competitions. This requires the provision of adequate and well equipped facilities including good play ground for training. Sufficient motivation in the form of attractiveness of sports facilities is required to capture the interest of the participants in any sports and games. Challenges of Resource Management in Sports in Nigerian Secondary Schools The effective performance in physical education and sports programmes in secondary schools in Nigeria involves the determination, allocation and development of funds for the achievement of the school sports programmes. The programme requires a large amount of money every year. This is because facilities such as courts and pitches are constructed and maintained for the use of the students. Equipment and supplies such as balls, nets, javelin, rackets, hockey sticks, bats, gymnastic

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020 and athletic materials also require either purchasing, replacement or repairs (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). Awosika (2009) opined that it might be impossible to achieve satisfactory results from athletes whose training facilities and equipment are inadequate or of sub- standard. The scarcity of physical education and sports facilities, equipment constitute a big problem in the successful administration, organization and management of physical education and sports in Nigerian secondary schools. Nigeria secondary school athletes would have performed better if they have being provided with adequate facilities and equipment available to the western world. It is noted that most of our secondary school athletes lack exposure to modern sophisticated sports and physical education infrastructural facilities and equipment for training. According to Igbanugo (2004), secondary school athletes have been known to drop out of skip training because these things (facilities and equipment) are either non- existence or inadequate. Human lives can be prolonged when the rules of health are observed. The same applies to any material being used by the individual or group. Nigerians are the worse race and the poorest when it comes to handling, care and maintenance of materials (Ladani, 2007). Maintenance of most public properties which belongs to nobody is less concern of some citizen of Nigeria. Maintenance culture should be established by the physical education teachers, with proper repairs of physical education facilities, equipment and supplies (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). Ladani (2007) opined that nowadays, equipment and supplies are not easy to come by, adequate maintenance and care should be taken of every item. After signing the receiving voucher, all newly purchased items should be properly marked, documented and placed in the proper storage areas. The office should be provided with official stamp, logo, crest and other materials which could serve to mark and identify the materials. Procedures for caring for the facilities, equipment and supplies should be routinized so that repairs are provided as needed. All used equipment and supplies should be checked and then repaired, replaced or serviced as needed and the kept properly (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). With the proper maintenance culture, a facility will last longer, provide a healthier and safer environment, be less costly, and provide a more satisfying experience for user groups. Planning and constructing facilities in physical education and sport are team efforts (Orunaboka & Nwachukwu, 2012). How Sports Facilities, Equipment and Supplies can be effectively managed in Nigerian Secondary Schools Sports facility management in Nigerian secondary schools is usually a responsibility of those persons who are in charge of physical education and sports programmes. The facilities for which these sports personnel are responsible include outdoor facilities such as play or training pitches or fields, courts, gymnasia, stadium and athletic fields. It is the responsibilities of the sports personnel in our secondary schools to examine and inspect all the facilities, equipment and supplies regularly to ensure that they are good for use by the students. They should also ensure that the facilities and equipment are cleaned daily, applying oil and grease to machines to ensure flexibility of necessary parts, periodic trimming of grass surface of open fields, ensure that correct dimensions of courts and pitches are maintained and broken bottles and sticks are cleared off from the venues of sports facilities during and after use. Use of electrical connections in the sports facilities are regular checked by sports personnel to ensure that they are in functional state and for safety of the users. Sports personnel or professionals should also ensure that proper storage of equipment is done to avoid people toying with sports equipment and facilities. It is also the duty of physical and health 14

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020 education teacher, games master or sports committee to repair any damaged sports equipment so as to serve more. The point being emphasized is that all the sports facilities and equipment in our secondary schools should be utilized, maintained and managed very well. Facilities and equipment should be moved, smoothened, marked, constructed, renovated, supervised and cleaned by the sports personnel, thus sustaining the maintenance culture for sports equipment and facilities in Nigerian secondary schools. Conclusion It is noted that in order to achieve any meaningful result from physical education and sports in secondary schools in Nigeria, enough and adequate sports facilities, equipment and supplies must be provided to the users. This will enhance better understanding of the subject and fast skill acquisition. It is also very important that maintenance culture should be observed in the sports facilities, equipment and supplies that are provided in all the schools. Suggestions This paper suggested the following: 1. Adequate and standard facilities, equipment and supplies should be provided for all public secondary schools in each of the states in Nigeria. 2. Trained physical education teachers and sports coaches should be employed to all the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. 3. The physical education and sports administrators should do a lot of work in the areas of facilities, equipment and supplies management such as maintenance, supervision and replacement of all worn out or damaged sports facilities, equipment and supplies so as to raise the standard of physical education and sports high in Nigeria. 4. Heads of schools should monitor and supervise the game masters and the school coaches to make sure the facilities, equipment and supplies in their various schools are maintained and managed well.

References

Adedeji, J.A. (2000). Social and cultural conflict in Sports and games in development countries. International review of Sports Sociology, 6, 14- 23.

Anejo,E.E. and Okwori, A. (2004). Sports Facilities and Equipment in Schools. A Task for Physical Educators and Sports Administrators. Benue State University Journal of Educational Foundation 1 (1) 47-54. Anyora, A.A. (2013). Sports Facilities and Equipment Management in School Sport. www.double.com. Awosika, Y.B. (2009). The Phenomenology of Spectatorship in Nigeria Soccer Administration. Journal of Kinetics and Health Education Perspective (JOKHEP) 1 (2), 55-66.

CAJES Vol. 6 No 3 | OCTOBER 2020 Ekanem, M.U. (1995). Towards Improving Nigeria’s Performance in International Sports Competitions. Journal of the National Institute of Sports 1 (1) 30.

Igbanugo, V.C. (2004). Effective Organization of Sports Relationship to Performance. Organization of Sports in Nigerian Universities Proceeding. NUGA, “2004” Forum. Uniport Press.

Kabido, A.I. (2006). Role of Schools in the Development of Individuals through Physical Education and Sports Activities in Nigeria. Journal of Education Research and Development, Faculty of Education, ABU Zaria 1(2), 97-98.

Ladani, B.A. (2007). An Introduction to Sports Management. Sunjo Press, Kaduna. Mohammed, A.N. (2006). Appraisal of Available Sports Facilities for the Teaching of Physical Education in Secondary Schools. A Case Study of Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State. Journal of Educational Research and Development 1 (2) 101-105. Ogundairo, D.O. (2010). Physical and Health Education for Colleges of Education. Ibadan: Rex Charles Press. Orunaboka, T. and Nwachukwu, E. (2012). Management of Physical Education Facilities, Equipment and Supplies in Secondary Schools, Issues and Challenges. Journal of Education and Practice, 3, 43-47.