ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ON COACHES’ PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIAN POLYTECHNICS

Abstract

The article under examination explored the impact of training and development on performance of coaches in the context of grassroots football coaches in Nigeria. This study was prompted by the growing anxiety over the discrepancy between coaching requirements and the real skills of the grassroots coaches. The research questions and hypotheses underpinning the study were five. A descriptive survey type of research design was adopted and a structured questionnaire was used in the collection of data of 357 coaches selected by the use of stratified random sampling. The tool had three giant constructs, which included perceived availability of training, relevance of existing programs, and effect of training on coaching performance. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The study findings showed that a huge proportion of the respondents (71.7% of the total) had recognized that there were training opportunities, which they had considered, but a small percentage of the respondents (26.9% of the total) viewed such programs as being very relevant to their day to day coaching duties. Moreover, 70.3 percent of the coaches responded that training positively affected their overall performance as coaches as well as in the areas of tactical development and man management. The research found that training programs exist, but their practical applicability and the long-term effect is doubtful. It suggests that the future training programs should be developed taking grassroots coaches directly on board so as to make sure that the programs are contextually relevant. Furthermore, the policy changes need to be aimed at constant professional growth, practice-based mentoring, and revision of coaching curricula in line with the changing football standards.