Organization and Administration of Competitive School Sports in Nigeria

 

In this article, the discussion focuses on the organization and administration of competitive school sports. Effort is made to show how these programmes are organized in the school so that they can contribute towards the education of the pupils.

After studying this article, you should be able to mention 3 basic for organizing the intramural competition in the school, State 2 function of the teacher in the intramural competition and List 4 values of school sports competition.

 

Basic for organizing the Students for Participation in the Competitive School Sports

For effective participation in intramural activity in the school, the best arrangement is to organize the entire school in groups. These groups can be classified as 'Houses/Classes/Clubs'. 

Depending on the size of the school population, the teachers in the school are assigned to different Houses' or "Clubs' to guide and supervise the pupil's participation.

Some grown-up in each group can be trained to help the teachers in organizing the pupils in their various groups.

The school sets out some days in the week for after school practice or some periods during the school day when the groups can go out for intramural physical activities.

Every child in each group is encouraged to participate in one event or more, according to his interest and ability.

 

Read: Meanings of Intramural School Competition, Recreation, Recreational Activities and Leisure

3 Major Problems in Organizing Intramural Athletics Competition in Schools

Students in Nigeria have some problems in organizing competitions in physical education for their pupils. These problems cannot be used as ready excuses to deny the students of the rich educational experiences inherent in athletic competitions.

Some of the problems are discussed here:-

1. Facilities and equipment: There is no school in Nigeria which has not got a play field of about 80m x 100m, unless schools in urban areas where land space is a problem. A space of this size is enough to train an athlete to compete at any level in sports. Construction of track round such a field or throwing pitches for field events should not present problems to schools.

A good guide is presented on how to construct track and field of play for use in schools. For equipment, like hurdle stands and jumping stands, schools are encouraged to learn how to improvise these items with local materials. Local carpenters can help schools to solve their problems in this area. Other items of equipment like javelin, shot put and discus require money.

School heads and Parents-Teachers Associations should raise money for these items.

2. Time Allotment: The problem of time to organize intramural athletic competitions can easily be tackled with the co-operation of heads. Weekends or school holiday periods can offer the opportunity for this. The end of school terms can be used for organizing intramural competitions in the schools.

3. Awards: Schools may complain of money with which to buy materials for prize awards to winners during competitions. At the school level, schools should not encourage material/cash award in any subject including physical education. Certificates designed by teachers can be presented to the students who perform well on the school intramural sports day.

 

How to Organize Competitive School Sports

The competitive school sport, whether it is called inter-house, inter-class or interclub competition should be the concern of everybody in the school, teachers and students inclusive. 

It should not be a programme for a few students selected on the basis of one good attribute or the other.

Arrangement should be made to provide for, almost every student in the school to take part in the competition.

Hence for any one event, provision should be made for the high level performers, the intermediate and the low performers. Each category should compete at its own level.

The organization of intramural athletic competition should be the collective responsibility of the staff in the school and can be handled in the following way:-

Organizing Committee, Action on setting up an intramural organizing committee is initiated by the teacher in charge of games, usually known as the games/sports master or mistress. He/ She consult with the Heads of the school for this purpose.

Membership of such a committee which is mainly ad-hoc comprises the following:

The Head or his appointed (Chairman) the Games master/mistress (Secretary) and about 3-5 other teachers depending on the size of the school.

This committee decides on the following:-

The events for the competition:-

• Number of entries per participant

• Officials

• Date for Heats

• Date for the competition

• Guests to be invited

• Work on the competition day.

 

Read: Introduction to Outdoor Sports - Classification and Characteristics of Recreation Activities in Nigeria

Details of Organizing Committee's Decision

Events for the competition:

The organizing committee decides on the number of events that will feature in the competition. Also the committee decides on the levels at which students will compete. This may be based on age, ability level or class.

Number of Entries per Competition:

The number of events in which each competitor should take part is decided by the committee. A student may be allowed to take part in not more than two events, as follows, one track and one field event.

The rules guiding the student's performances in each event are based on the official rules of that activity as approved at the national or international level.

Officials:

The committee decides on the number of officials to be invited for each event. Such event officials should be persons who are knowledgeable in the event for which they are invited. The officials should be persons who are interested in amateur athletics and should understand that the school does not pay allowances for the service rendered in such a competition.

Date for Competition:

The committee will decide on whether there will be heats and the number for such. It will also decide on the number of competitors that will be selected in each event to compete on the competition day. The committee will also decide on the date for the actual competition.

Guests:

The organizing committee decides whether guest will be invited to watch the school intramural competition. It is advisable for guest like parents, leaders of the school Parents Teacher Association and community leaders to be invited. This is one of the ways of establishing a good school-community relationship.

Other Matters:

The committee should also consider whether prizes will be given to students and houses that perform well in the competition and the nature of prizes. Here it may not be necessary that material prizes in any form be awarded to students for competing in the intramural athletic programme. Certificates of good performance can be given to them.

Competition Day:

It is important that on the day of the competition, all the members of staff of the school and the pupils should be involved. Before this day, the games master through the Headmaster should assign functions to all the members of staff. He must ensure that all the material needed by the officials is provided before their arrival.

The games master should know that it is his responsibility to ensure that the ground for the competition is prepared. The tracks and pitches for field events must all be marked.

Seats must be provided for the guests and everything needed for the opening ceremony must be provided. It may be necessary for the school head to prepare a brief speech for the opening and at the close; another speech may be made by one of the guests who must have been informed of this earlier.

 Read: Definition, Causes and Types of Accident

Organization of Intramural Competition

The organization of intramural athletic competition should not be left to the games master/mistresses of the schools involved. The Head of the schools should show a great concern in it because such a competition has its own educational values from which the pupils should benefit.

The representatives of the two schools, possibly the Heads and games masters should meet and discuss the whole programme. Matters on which decision should be taken include the events for the competition; the level at which competition will be held in each event; the number of entries per competitor; the number of officials; equipment, etc.

Each house/class selects its own competitors in each event. In this case each house/class organizes its own heats and submits the names of its competitors.

The students from the school should be properly briefed in advance on how to behave during the competition.

It is essential that they should be made to understand that intramural competition day is an occasion for them to make friends with their counterparts from the other house/class.

In summary, the intramural athletic programme can be organized on the basis of:

• Classes

• Houses

• Clubs

In organizing intramural athletic competition a committee should be set up for this.

The committee should decide on:-

• The events for the competition;

• Number of events in which students can compete;

• Officials;

• Dates for heats and competition;

• Guests to be invited.

Before the competition day, the school heads must see that:-

• Facilities are ready:

• Materials to be used by the officials are provided;

• Seat is provided for guests and spectators;

• Invitation letters are sent to the officials in time.

For the extramural competition, the representatives of the house/class involved must meet and decide on the following:-

• The events in which the students should compete;

• Number of events in which one student should take part;

• Officials;

• Date for competition.