THE BALL DRIBBLING PERFOMANCE SKILL PROFILE OF NIGERIAN ELITE BASKETBALL PLAYERS PLAYING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

Performance skill tests are vital for successful outing in every sport. Basketball coaches are faced with the
problem of guiding standards for assessing their players and that of their training. Previous studies on
performance skills have applied various methods of measuring the standards of their players. However, there is
a dearth of literature on standardized field tests for assessing such skills in Nigeria. This study, therefore,
adapted the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) skill tests
developed in America and reported by Joyner and Macmanis, (2007) for basketballers’ performance skills
assessment in ball dribbling. The ex post facto research design was used for the study. The systematic sampling
technique was used involving where every second of other subject in the population was chosen. In all, two
hundred and sixteen (216) participants were used for the study out of the total population of four hundred and
thirty –two (432). The instruments used for the study were the AAHPERD (2002) basketball skill tests and the
physical fitness profile tests. The descriptive statistics used in the data analysis for the study were the mean,
standard deviation, and range. The inferential statistics applied for the data analyses were the one way analysis
of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regressions. The alpha was set at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of
the study revealed that ball dribbling performance skills were significant, depicting that the Nigerian elite
basketballers are not doing well in this area of performance skill. It is, therefore, concluded that physical fitness
profile and performance skills are the relevant determinants of playing levels in the game of basketball in
Nigeria. It is, therefore, recommended that regular training and mastery of skills which promote fitness status,
high quality health, and wellness should be instituted in coaching and conditioning Nigerian basketballers. Also,
testing and measurement of these skills should be carried out periodically for the purpose of collecting
information upon which subsequent skill training and performance evaluations for decision making should be
based on enhance team performance in basketball.