Application of Motivational Techniques to Improve Sports Participation and Performance among Adolescents: Implications to Sports Administration in Secondary Schools

This research is on the application of motivational techniques to improve sports performance and
participation among adolescents: Implications to sports Administration in secondary schools in
Nigeria. The researchers investigated sufficient use of motivational techniques as a tool, feedbacks,
reinforcement and punishment, goal-setting as factors influencing the application of motivation on
adolescents. In the research, ten schools from ten local governments out of 21 (twenty one) local
government areas of Anambra State were used. The schools were purposively chosen to ensure that
both Federal, state and mission owned schools were all represented in the sample. To guide the
study’s data collection, four research questions were formulated and data were gathered using
questionnaire patterned after that of Likert. A total number of 200 adolescents (students in the
secondary schools) were used. The data collected were analyzed using frequency and mean (x) to
determine level of agreement and disagreement to the research questions. The findings of this study
revealed that it is through motivation that the human resources in the adolescents could be utilized
and channeled to improved sports performance and participation in secondary schools in Nigeria.
Recommendations were appropriately made.