SPORT VOLUNTEERISM AS A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE SPORTS ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Sport at any level is a social activity and event that requires human and material resources. The inadequacy of sports personnel for effective sports administration and development can be augmented with the services of volunteers. Sports volunteers add to the sports human capacity. In recent times, most sports administrators call on volunteers for successful sports administration. Volunteers have assisted in the administration of sports competitions such as World Championships, Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, All African Games, National Sports Festival, among others. Outside sports competitions, sports volunteers like retired and non-retired coaches and elite athletes can assist in grassroot sports development by helping in the establishment of sports clubs and academy for youths to develop their sports talents. Retired and non-retired elite athletes and coaches with good educational background can offer to serve as instructors in sports institutes for training of sports personnel. Some of the sports volunteers in Nigeria are unemployed youths who always expect financial reward for services rendered before or at the end of the competition. During sports competitions, some of the sports volunteers face challenges such as poor identification, lack of communication equipment, poor rapport and communication between sports volunteers and other sports participants, and poor knowledge and understanding of the terrain of sports venues and road networks. It was recommended that proper identification tags or cards should be provided for sports volunteers; necessary communication equipment should be provided for the sports volunteers during competition. Again, sports volunteers with good knowledge and understanding of the terrain of sports venues and road networks should be used; and sports volunteers should be well integrated into sports programme by the sports organizers.