One of many main elements militating in opposition to the event of sports activities in Nigeria at the moment is lack of efficient administration. Numerous options are being proffered by involved and patriotic Nigerians every day to bail us out the quagmire. Considered one of such options is that this textual content entitled “Trendy Traits in Sports activities Administration and Administration”. It’s written by Dr. Joseph Awoyinfa, a lecturer within the Division of Human Kinetics and Well being Training, School of Training, College of Lagos, Nigeria; a researcher and academic advisor. I used to be the individual invited by the creator and the college to evaluate the e-book when it was offered to the general public on December 4, 2008 in Nigeria.
In accordance with Awoyinfa, it’s a truism all around the world that sport is now a reference difficulty which might now not be ignored at varied sectors of the financial system and spheres of life. The creator provides that this textual content thus takes a important take a look at topical points in sports activities administration and administration, dwelling on theories and rules of contemporary traits in sports activities administration and administration comparable to management, organisation, planning, motivation, and so on.
The textual content comprises 16 chapters. Chapter one is christened “the idea of sports administration”. Right here, Awoyinfa says administration is an idea that suggests various things to totally different folks at totally different occasions, thus resulting in its multiplicity of definitions. He explains that administration has been variously described as an artwork, a science, an individual or folks, a self-discipline and a course of.
This creator expatiates that as an artwork, sports activities administration is all about finishing up sports activities organisational features and duties by means of folks; whereas as a science, sports activities administration is about establishing sports activities philosophy, legal guidelines, theories, rules, processes and practices. As an organisation, based on him, sports activities administration is outlined as a method of making formal constructions and an institution based mostly on a mission, aims, targets, features and duties.
Awoyinfa says as an individual or group of individuals, sports activities administration might confer with the top alone or to all of the senior employees, committee, and so on.; whereas as a self-discipline, administration is a discipline of research with varied topics and subjects. The creator illuminates that sports activities administration as a course of is a couple of systematic manner of doing issues. Awoyinfa highlights administration features in sports activities administration as planning, organising, staffing, directing/main, controlling, coordination, budgeting and analysis. On whom a sports activities supervisor is, this creator educates {that a} sports activities supervisor is anybody at any degree of sport organisation who directs
the efforts of different folks in direction of the achievement of organisational targets sport-wise.
Chapter two is predicated on the subject material of evolution and traits of sports activities administration thought. Right here, Awoyinfa discloses that the event of ideas on sports activities administration dates again to the times when folks first tried to perform targets by working collectively in a gaggle. In his phrases, “There was critical pondering and theorising about managing a few years earlier than the daybreak of the 20th (twentieth) century, which marked the start of contemporary sports activities administration thought. Main efforts to develop theories and rules of sports activities administration started from the early twentieth (twentieth) century with the work of Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol. The commercial revolution of the nineteenth (nineteenth) century in all probability supplied the local weather for this very critical theorising.”
Awoyinfa provides that because the flip of the twentieth century, writers on sports activities administration and enterprise idea have been propounding totally different theories about how you can handle work and personnel extra effectively and successfully. This creator educates that the three essential faculties of administration thought are: the classical; the human-behavioural; and the integrative. Awoyinfa additionally highlights early sports activities administration theorists; rules and traits of scientific administration; appraisal of the scientific administration idea, and so on., on this chapter.
Chapter three is thematically labelled “rules of sports activities administration”. On this chapter, the tutorial advisor explains that sports activities rules are the essential legal guidelines on which the follow of sports activities administration is constructed. He provides that administration rules should due to this fact be based mostly on basic phrases for them to be relevant inside sport organisations of various sizes and character. “Trendy sports activities managers and directors are anticipated to have the ability to determine and use applicable rules which can be related to explicit conditions. It is because no single precept can swimsuit all administrative conditions,” submits Awoyinfa.
He says the basic rules of sports activities are these relevant to all sports activities organisations and because of their basic acceptability, they’re typically known as “common rules of sports activities administration”. This creator expatiates that a few of these rules are: duty; delegation of authority and communication. As regards humanitarian rules of sports activities administration, Awoyinfa identifies these as democracy, justice, human relations, sympathy, empathy, consideration and humility.
In chapter 4 based mostly on the idea of behavioural and motivational theories in sports activities organisation, the creator says human beings are distinctive creatures as they behave otherwise below totally different situations and are principally troublesome to foretell. Awoyinfa stresses that since human beings represent a very powerful ingredient in sports activities organisation, sports activities managers want some understanding of why folks behave in somehow, in order that they (sports activities managers) can affect folks to carry out precisely the best way sports activities organisations discover fascinating.
One potent instrument this creator means that can be utilized to elicit efficiency in athletes is motivation. In his phrases, “Motivation is one thing wanted in sports activities organisations to make staff carry out.
Nonetheless, it has been an vital and a puzzling topic for sports activities managers.” Awoyinfa additional discusses growth of motivational ideas in sports activities organisation; utility of motivational theories to sports activities administration; strategies of behaviour modification, and so on., on this chapter.
In chapters 5 to 10, the creator beams his analytical searchlight on topic issues comparable to administration methods in sports activities organisation; the idea of sports activities organisation; setting design in sports activities organisation; the idea of planning in sports activities administration; making sports activities organisations simpler in Nigeria and staffing in sports activities organisations.
Chapter 11 is predicated on communication methods in sports activities organisation. In accordance with Awoyinfa right here, communication is a vital consider any organisational effectiveness as a result of organisations can’t operate successfully when communication expertise are missing amongst members. “Since communication is the transferring spirit in an organisation, its absence might make organisations standstill,” asserts this creator.
In chapters 12 to 16, Awoyinfa X-rays ideas comparable to organisational adjustments and growth in sports activities administration; management in sports activities administration and administration; administration and administration of soccer as a coach; educating human kinetics and well being schooling in faculties and schools; and organisation and administration of faculties at varied ranges of schooling.
As regards mode of presentation, this textual content scores a move mark. For example, the language is understandable and the concepts are brilliantly articulated. The simplicity of the language is anticipated, given the creator’s twin skilled background as a lecturer and pastor. To make sure straightforward research of the textual content on readers’ half, Awoyinfa highlights the aims of every chapter firstly and ends with evaluate/revision questions.
What’s extra, he creatively embroiders the textual content with graphics (pages 50, 97, 317, 330, 338, 395, and so on.) to boost readers’ understanding by means of visible communication. Awoyinfa consists of references on the finish of every chapter to fulfil tutorial obligation of supply disclosure and provide readers alternatives to learn extra. Inclusion of many references additionally confirms the depth of his analysis. His use of visible distinction for the phrase “Trendy Traits” within the title is emphatically inventive.
If there are chapters that actually make this textual content certified as a compendium of contemporary options to the executive and administration issues plaguing our sports activities growth in Nigeria, they’re chapters 4, eight, 11 and 13. It is because they focus on motivation, planning, communication and management respectively.
In the meantime, the thematically biggest chapter of all is chapter 4. The truth that it’s consciously or unconsciously taken to be the best chapter finds sensible expression within the deeper communication and cohesion between its subject material on the one hand and the outer entrance cowl’s allegorical visuals or metaphorical photos comparable to purpose put up, cyclists racing, a garden tennis participant poised for motion together with her bat, sprinters competing and footballers struggling for ball possession, alternatively. These are photos used for illustration in motivational discourse.
Nonetheless, some errors are observed on this textual content. The errors are “Acknowledgement” (web page iii), as an alternative of “Acknowledgements”; non-paragraphing of the pure first few paragraphs of “Preface”; “Loosing” (pages 396 and 404), as an alternative of “Shedding”, and so on. These errors have to be corrected within the subsequent version.
On a be aware of analytical finality, this textual content is a compendium of irresistible sports activities administration suggestions. It’s a must-read for all stakeholders within the sports activities sector, particularly managers and directors. It’s merely fascinating.