Modern Trends in Sports Administration and Management

One of the major factors militating against the development of sports in Nigeria today is lack of
effective management. A lot of solutions are being proffered by concerned and patriotic Nigerians
daily to bail us out the quagmire. One of such solutions is this text entitled "Modern Trends in Sports
Administration and Management". It is written by Dr. Joseph Awoyinfa, a lecturer in the Department
of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, Nigeria; a
researcher and educational consultant. I was the person invited by the author and the university to
review the book when it was presented to the public on December 4, 2008 in Nigeria.
According to Awoyinfa, it is a truism all over the world that sport is now a reference issue which can
no longer be ignored at various sectors of the economy and spheres of life. The author adds that this
text thus takes a critical look at topical issues in sports administration and management, dwelling on
theories and principles of modern trends in sports administration and management such as
leadership, organisation, planning, motivation, etc. Kinesiology Tape
The text contains 16 chapters. Chapter one is christened "the concept of sports management". Here,
Awoyinfa says management is a concept that implies different things to different people at different
times, thus leading to its multiplicity of definitions. He explains that management has been variously
described as an art, a science, a person or people, a discipline and a process.
This author expatiates that as an art, sports management is all about carrying out sports
organisational functions and tasks through people; while as a science, sports management is about
establishing sports philosophy, laws, theories, principles, processes and practices. As an
organisation, according to him, sports management is defined as a means of creating formal
structures and an establishment based on a mission, objectives, targets, functions and tasks.
Awoyinfa says as a person or group of people, sports management may refer to the head alone or to
all the senior staff, committee, etc.; while as a discipline, management is a field of study with various
subjects and topics. The author illuminates that sports management as a process is about a
systematic way of doing things. Awoyinfa highlights management functions in sports administration
as planning, organising, staffing, directing/leading, controlling, coordination, budgeting and
evaluation. On whom a sports manager is, this author educates that a sports manager is anyone at
any level of sport organisation who directs
the efforts of other people towards the achievement of organisational goals sport-wise.
Chapter two is based on the subject matter of evolution and trends of sports management thought.
Here, Awoyinfa discloses that the development of thoughts on sports management dates back to the
days when people first attempted to accomplish goals by working together in a group. In his words,
"There was serious thinking and theorising about managing many years before the dawn of the
twentieth (20th) century, which marked the beginning of modern sports management thought. Major
efforts to develop theories and principles of sports management began from the early twentieth
(20th) century with the work of Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol. The industrial revolution of the
nineteenth (19th) century probably provided the climate for this very serious theorising."
Awoyinfa adds that since the turn of the 20th century, writers on sports management and business
theory have been propounding different theories about how to manage work and personnel more
efficiently and effectively. This author educates that the three main schools of management thought

are: the classical; the human-behavioural; and the integrative. Awoyinfa also highlights early sports
management theorists; principles and characteristics of scientific management; appraisal of the
scientific management theory, etc., in this chapter.
Chapter three is thematically labelled "principles of sports management". In this chapter, the
educational consultant explains that sports principles are the basic laws on which the practice of
sports management is built. He adds that management principles must therefore be based on
general terms for them to be applicable within sport organisations of varying sizes and character.
"Modern sports managers and administrators are expected to be able to identify and use appropriate
principles that are relevant to particular situations. This is because no single principle can suit all
administrative situations," submits Awoyinfa.
He says the fundamental principles of sports are those applicable to all sports organisations and as a
result of their general acceptability, they are sometimes referred to as "universal principles of sports
management". This author expatiates that some of these principles are: responsibility; delegation of
authority and communication. As regards humanitarian principles of sports management, Awoyinfa
identifies these as democracy, justice, human relations, sympathy, empathy, consideration and
humility.
In chapter four based on the concept of behavioural and motivational theories in sports organisation,
the author says human beings are unique creatures as they behave differently under different
conditions and are mostly difficult to predict. Awoyinfa stresses that since human beings constitute
the most important element in sports organisation, sports managers need some understanding of
why people behave in one way or the other, so that they (sports managers) can influence people to
perform exactly the way sports organisations find desirable.
One potent instrument this author suggests that can be used to elicit performance in athletes is
motivation. In his words, "Motivation is something needed in sports organisations to make
employees perform.
However, it has been an important and a puzzling subject for sports managers." Awoyinfa further
discusses development of motivational concepts in sports organisation; application of motivational
theories to sports management; methods of behaviour modification, etc., in this chapter.
In chapters five to ten, the author beams his analytical searchlight on subject matters such as
management techniques in sports organisation; the concept of sports organisation; setting design in
sports organisation; the concept of planning in sports administration; making sports organisations
more effective in Nigeria and staffing in sports organisations.
Chapter 11 is based on communication strategies in sports organisation. According to Awoyinfa
here, communication is a crucial factor in any organisational effectiveness because organisations
cannot function effectively when communication skills are lacking among members. "Since
communication is the moving spirit in an organisation, its absence may make organisations
standstill," asserts this author.
In chapters 12 to 16, Awoyinfa X-rays concepts such as organisational changes and development in
sports administration; leadership in sports administration and management; administration and
management of soccer as a coach; teaching human kinetics and health education in schools and
colleges; and organisation and administration of schools at various levels of education.
As regards mode of presentation, this text scores a pass mark. For instance, the language is

comprehensible and the ideas are brilliantly articulated. The simplicity of the language is expected,
given the author's dual professional background as a lecturer and pastor. To ensure easy study of
the text on readers' part, Awoyinfa highlights the objectives of each chapter at the beginning and
ends with review/revision questions.

What's more, he creatively embroiders the text with

graphics (pages 50, 97, 317, 330, 338, 395, etc.) to
enhance readers' understanding through visual
communication. Awoyinfa includes references at the end
of each chapter to fulfil academic obligation of source
disclosure and offer readers opportunities to read more.
Inclusion of many references also confirms the depth of
his research. His use of visual distinction for the phrase
"Modern Trends" in the title is emphatically creative.
If there are chapters that really make this text qualified as a compendium of modern solutions to the
administrative and management problems plaguing our sports development in Nigeria, they are
chapters four, eight, 11 and 13. This is because they discuss motivation, planning, communication
and leadership respectively.
Meanwhile, the thematically greatest chapter of all is chapter four. The fact that it is consciously or
unconsciously taken to be the greatest chapter finds practical expression in the deeper
communication and cohesion between its subject matter on the one hand and the outer front cover's
allegorical visuals or metaphorical images such as goal post, cyclists racing, a lawn tennis player
poised for action with her bat, sprinters competing and footballers struggling for ball possession, on
the other hand. These are images used for illustration in motivational discourse.
However, some errors are noticed in this text. The errors are "Acknowledgement" (page iii), instead
of "Acknowledgements"; non-paragraphing of the natural first few paragraphs of "Preface";
"Loosing" (pages 396 and 404), instead of "Losing", etc. These errors need to be corrected in the
next edition.
On a note of analytical finality, this text is a compendium of irresistible sports management tips. It is
a must-read for all stakeholders in the sports sector, especially managers and administrators. It is
simply fascinating.