THE IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE 18TH NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL, LAGOS, NIGERIA

The study investigated the impact of motivation on athletic achievement of athletes that took part in the “18th Nigeria National Sports Festival held in Lagos”. Some of the major factors of motivation were: Welfare packages, Facilities and Equipment, Coaches, Government role, etc. were examined. In Nigeria, it has been observed that most state governments, sports administrators and coaches at the competition rely mostly on the physical fitness and skill levels of athletes, whereas little or no attention is given to psychological considerations like motivation. In sport, motivation is widely accepted as an essential and basic prerequisite in getting athletes to fulfill their potential. 206 athletes were randomly selected from 10 states out of the 36 states of the country. A self structured Sport Motivation Questions (SMQ) was administered on the participants, to elicit their perceived impact of motivation on their athletic achievement. Descriptive statistical tools (mean, standard deviation, one sample t-test analysis) were used to test the hypotheses. It was discovered that athlete’s morale became diminished as a result of unfulfilled promises. In conclusion the study suggested ways to help improve the motivational capacities of athletes in Nigeria, since motivation is the foundation for all athletic effort and accomplishment.