ATHLETES’ PERCEIVED MOTIVATIONAL CLIMATE IN SPORTS AS PREDICTORS OF ATHLETES’ SUCCESS IN THE NORTH CENTRAL ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Critical thinking, initiative, imaginative thought, creativity and self discipline are products of training and experience which athletes should acquire from the coaching process where the coaches are themselves creative. A decade years of athletes’ performance at National Sports Festival shows that most states and the Federal Capital Territory within the zone recorded poor performance compared with their counterparts from other parts of the country. This paper, therefore, sought to investigate whether the athletes’ perceived motivational climate in sport would influence athletes’ success in the North Central Zone of Nigeria. Survey research design of an ex-post facto type was adopted. Eight hundred and seventy-seven out of existing one thousand, ninety-seven performing athletes were purposively drawn from six states of North Central Zone and the Federal Capital Territory Sports Council of Nigeria as respondents. A standardized research instrument was used: Athletes’ Perceived Motivational Climate in Sports (r=0.85). Data were analyzed using Multiple Regression, and hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Athletes’ Perceived Motivational Climate in Sports accounted for 55.10% of the variance of athletes’ success. Athletes’ variables, dependence (? =0.20, t = 8.25, P < 0.05), integration (? = 0.32, t = 13.25, P < 0.05), opportunity (? = 0.28, t = 11.64, P < 0.05) and frustration (? =0.46, t = 19.23, P < 0.05) were found to be predictors of athletes’ success. Athletes’ success could be enhanced by giving adequate attention to Athletes’ Perceived Motivational Climate in Sports in the North Central Zone of Nigeria, since Athletes with strong sense of efficacy in their ability can achieve higher breakthrough in their performance.