ASSESSEMENT OF THE IMPACT OF THE TRAINING ADEQUACY OF THENATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SPORTS (NIS) ON THE DEVELOPMENT OFTACTICAL ABILITY OF COACHES IN THE NORTH-WEST ZONE,NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the impact of the training adequacy of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) on the
development of tactical ability of coaches in State Sports Organizations in the North-West Zone of Nigeria. A
descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 450 coaches drawn from football,
basketball, taekwondo, tennis, athletics, and swimming who were trained by NIS between 2019 and 2023. Using
multi-stage sampling procedures, a sample of 269 coaches was selected. Data were collected using a researcherdeveloped questionnaire validated by experts, with a reliability coefficient of 0.857 obtained through Cronbach’s
Alpha. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question, while chisquare (χ²) was employed to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed an aggregate mean
score of 3.22, indicating that NIS training programmes positively influence coaches’ tactical abilities in areas such
as game strategy development, opponent analysis, tactical decision-making, situational adaptation, and
implementation of advanced formations. The chi-square result (χ² = 127.145, p = 0.000) showed a significant
impact of training adequacy of NIS on the development of tactical ability of coaches, leading to the rejection of
the null hypothesis. The study concluded that the training programmes of the National Institute for Sports are
adequate and significantly contribute to enhancing the tactical competence of coaches in the North-West Zone of
Nigeria. It was recommended that NIS should continually review and update its tactical curriculum and strengthen
practical components of training to align with contemporary coaching demands and global best practices.