Impact of Coaches’ Management of Stress on Athletes Performance During the Nigerian Polytechnic Games Association Competitions in North-West, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64348/zije.2026431Abstract
This study assessed the impact of coaches’ management of stress by coaches on the performance of athletes in Nigerian Polytechnic Games Association (NIPOGA) competitions in the North-West Zone, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 916 sports officers/directors, coaches, and athletes drawn from different sporting events across the North-West Zone of Nigeria. A sample size of 250 respondents was selected using purposive, cluster, simple random and proportionate random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a self-developed structured questionnaire validated by experts in Human Kinetics and Health Education at Ahmadu Bello University. A pilot study conducted at Federal Polytechnic Bauchi and Gombe State Polytechnic Bajoga produced a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.846. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), Simple Linear Regression, and Multiple Regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that coaches generally employed stress management strategies during NIPOGA competitions with a grand mean score of 3.08. Athletes also demonstrated satisfactory performance levels with a grand mean score of 3.03, while emotional support provided by coaches positively influenced athletes’ performance with a grand mean score of 3.03. Inferential analysis showed a significant positive relationship between effective stress management by coaches and athletes’ performance (r = 0.684, p < 0.05). Emotional support provided by coaches significantly influenced athletes’ performance (β = 0.621, p < 0.05), accounting for 38.6% of the variation in performance outcomes. Furthermore, relaxation and psychological coping techniques significantly predicted athletes’ performance (R² = 0.510, p < 0.05). The study concluded that effective psycho-social management strategies by coaches significantly enhanced athletes’ psychological stability, confidence, concentration, and competitive performance during NIPOGA competitions in the North-West Zone, Nigeria. The study recommended that coaches should integrate stress management, emotional support, relaxation and coping strategies into athletes’ training programmes to improve performance outcomes
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