One of the major factors militating against the creation of sports in Nigeria today is lack of effective management. Plenty of remedies are being proffered by patriotic and concerned Nigerians to bail us. I was the man invited by the author along with the university to review the book when it was presented to the public on December 4, 2008 in Nigeria.


Based on Awoyinfa, it is a truism all around the world that sport is currently a reference dilemma which can not be discounted at spheres of life and various sectors of the market. The author adds that this text so 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.


The text comprises 16 chapters. Chapter one is christened "the idea of sports management". Here, Awoyinfa says management is a concept that implies different things to different individuals at different times, thereby leading to its multiplicity of definitions. He describes that management has been variously called an a discipline, a science, an individual or individuals, an art along with a process.


This author expatiates that as an art, sports management is all about carrying out sports tasks and organisational functions through folks; sports management is all about laws creating sports philosophy, theories, principles, procedures and practices, while as a science. As an organisation, according to him, sports management is described as a way of making an institution and proper arrangements according to a mission, goals, targets, functions and tasks.


The author illuminates that sports management as a process is about a methodical way of doing things. In sports administration as planning, organising, staffing, directing/ controlling, leading, coordination, budgeting and evaluation Awoyinfa highlights management functions. On whom a sports supervisor is, this author trains that a sports supervisor is anyone at any given level of sport organisation who directs

the efforts of others towards the achievement of organisational aims sport-wise.


Chapter two is based on trends of sports management thought and the subject matter of development. Here, Awoyinfa divulges that the growth of thoughts on sports management goes back to the days when folks first attempted to achieve goals by working together in a group. Important efforts to build up theories and principles of sports management commenced from the first twentieth (20th) century with all the work of Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol. The industrial revolution of the nineteenth (19th) century probably supplied the climate for this quite serious theorising."


Awoyinfa includes that because the turn of the 20th century, writers on sports management and business theory have been propounding theories that are different about the best way to handle employees and work more efficiently and effectively. This author prepares that the three main schools of management thought are: the ancient; the human -behavioural; and the integrative.


Chapter three is thematically tagged "principles of sports management". He adds that management principles must therefore be based on general terms for them to be appropriate within sport organisations of varying sizes and nature. "Modern sports supervisors and administrators are expected to be able to spot and use appropriate principles that are relevant to specific scenarios. The reason being no single principle can suit all administrative scenarios," submits Awoyinfa.


He says the fundamental principles of sports are those applicable to any or all sports organisations and as an outcome of their general acceptability, they're sometimes called "universal principles of sports management". This author expatiates that some of these principles are: duty; delegation of communication and power. As regards humanitarian principles of sports management, Awoyinfa identifies these as democracy, justice, human relations, sympathy, empathy, consideration and humility.


In chapter four based in sports organisation on the idea of behavioural and motivational theories, the author says as they behave differently under different states, human beings are creatures that are unique and are mostly difficult to forecast. Awoyinfa stresses that since human beings make up the most important component in sports organisation, sports supervisors need some understanding of why individuals behave in one way or the other, so that they (sports supervisors) can influence individuals to perform exactly the way sports organisations find desired.


One potent tool this author suggests that may be used to arouse performance is motivation.

Nevertheless, it continues to be an important as well as a perplexing issue for sports supervisors." Awoyinfa farther discusses development of inspirational concepts in sports organisation; application of motivational theories to sports management; strategies of behaviour change, etc., in this chapter.


In chapters five to ten, the author airs his analytical searchlight on subject matters such as management techniques in sports organisation; the idea of sports organisation; setting design in sports organisation; the idea of planning in sports administration; making sports organisations more efficient in Nigeria and staffing in sports organisations.


Based on Awoyinfa here, communication is a crucial element in virtually any organisational effectiveness when communication skills are lacking among members, because organisations cannot function efficiently. "Since communication is the moving spirit within an organisation, its absence may make organisations standstill," maintains this author.

In chapters 12 to 16, Awoyinfa X-beams concepts such as organisational changes and development in sports administration; leadership in sports administration and management; government and management of football as a trainer; teaching human kinetics and health education in schools and colleges; and organisation and government of schools at various levels of schooling.


This text scores a pass mark, as regards manner of presentation. For example, the language is comprehensible and the notions are brilliantly formulated. The simplicity of the language is expected, given the author's double professional qualifications as pastor and a lecturer. To ensure easy study of the text on subscribers' component, Awoyinfa ends with review/revision questions and highlights the goals of each chapter in the beginning.


Awoyinfa contains references by the end of each chapter to fulfil academic duty of provide readers chances and source disclosure to read more. Inclusion of many references additionally confirms the depth of his research. His use of visual differentiation for the phrase "Modern Trends" in the title is emphatically creative.


They have been chapters four, eight, 11 and 13 if there are chapters that actually make this text qualified as a compendium of advanced answers to the management and administrative issues plaguing our sports development in Nigeria. The reason being they discuss communication, planning, motivation and leadership respectively.


Meanwhile, the thematically best chapter of all is chapter four. These are images used for example in discourse that is inspirational.


Nevertheless, some errors are seen in this text. The blunders 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 must be corrected in the following variation.


On a note of finality that is analytical, this text is a compendium of resistless sports management tricks. It's a must-read for all stakeholders in the sports sector, especially supervisors and administrators. It is simply fascinating.