Female sports coaches and administrators have been urged to encourage more sportswomen to attain the peak of their careers.
Prof. Florence Adeyanju, Chairperson, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Women’ Commission, made the call in Akwa at a one-day capacity seminar for female coaches and administrators in the South-east on Wednesday.
Adeyanju said the two groups should work harmoniously considering the importance of their work.
She said that while administrators make sports policies, coaches implement them to achieve the set goals.
“Coaches establish good relationships with athletes, administrators, management and stakeholders and gain their support.
“They must adapt methods to fit the athletes and situation, and provide constructive feedback when necessary, as good communication skills are vital,” she said.
She added that the job of coaches was to help young athletes to discover and develop their talents.
Adeyanju, however, commended female coaches and administrators for the success of Nigerian sports women, noting that they were doing well in spite of the challenges facing them.
She noted that female coaches should be provided with all the support they needed to succeed as well as strategies to manage their strengths and weaknesses.
Adeyanju urged female coaches to be mindful of gender issues and encourage inclusiveness and also take cognisance of the organisational structure within which they operated.
She urged administrators to review their training curriculum, while coaches should endeavour to update their capacities.
She listed some obstacles militating against the success of women coaches to include poor coaching philosophy, lack of transparency in dealing with athletes, poor anger management, lack of tolerance, low level training and lack of confidence.
In his goodwill message, Habu Gumel, President of NOC, said the seminar was to enhance the capacity of female coaches and administrators in the country.
Gumel who was represented by Kemi Obidahunsi, Secretary of NOC women’s Commission, commended women for their contributions to sports in Nigeria, and assured that the Commission would continue to support them.
On her part, Princess Ugonwaezeh-Agugo, Coordinator of the event, welcomed the participants and expressed optimism that the programme would benefit them.
Ugonwaezeh-Agugo, a Rugby administrator commended the NOC for the seminar which was the first of its kind in the Southeast.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four presentations were made at the event which was attended by no fewer than 60 participants from the five states in Southeast.
