Influencing Factors Hindering Female Sports Participation in Senior Secondary Schools in Sokoto, Nigeria

Abstract The study examined the factors hindering female participation in sporting activities in Nigerian senior secondary schools. A descriptive research design type of survey was employed for the study, and a selfstructured questionnaire was used to collect information from a sample of 539 female secondary school students. Primary data collected were used to analyze descriptive statistics. Relative Importance Analysis was used to achieve the Relative Importance Index and to identify the factors that hinder female participation in sports in Sokoto State, Nigeria. From the findings, it was revealed that the female student cannot combine academic work with sports, and are mostly sidelined in sports activities. Also, the school policy does not give opportunities for sports participation by making it compulsory, but the female student does crave sports participation which is not supported by their parent. Finally, funds are not released for the development of sports facilities in secondary schools in Sokoto State, Nigeria. From the holistic point of view, secondary senior school policy on sport is the major factor hindering female participation in sports in Sokoto State, Nigeria. From the findings, recommendations were drawn that academic curriculum should be redesigned and flexible such that it will give room for a female student to manage academic stress and be able to participate in sporting activities; private and public stakeholders should participate in funding sporting activities in the Nigerian senior secondary schools; and the secondary school policy programs should be formulated in such a way that female will be inclusive in sport participation. Keywords: Hindering factors, female, sports participation, secondary schools, Nigeria.