An investigation into the weight screening regulation in basic schools sports competitions and their influence on children attitude towards physical education and sports

Abstract

The purpose of the study was investigate the consequences of weight regulation in National School Sports Competition and its effect on students‟ attitudes towards sports in some selected Senior High Schools in the Brong Ahafo Region. A descriptive cross sectional survey was conducted to investigate the concerns about weight regulation, extent to which Weight Regulation in National School Sport Competition has achieved its aims and objectives, and the effect of Weight Regulation on students‟ attitudes toward sports. A convenience sampling technique was used by the researcher to select the four schools from each District and a purposive sampling technique to select the 332 respondents. In all fourteen (14) Senior High Schools in the region were selected for the study. Quantitative data analysis methods were used in the analysis of the data. It turned out that the introduction and application of weight regulation and screening has impacted positively on students‟ attitude towards sport. This is due to the fact that it prevents cheating in the competition, it allows the less privileged to participate, and it has also prevented bias among sports men and women. The study however, found that student athletes were not medically screened before participating in national and school sports competitions and these prone athletes to several health risk especially those with cardiovascular diseases and eye infections as well as mental problems. The consequences of weight regulations included; sidelining of talented fat students; discrimination, and prevention of some skillful students from exhibiting their talent. In all, Weight screening has achieved its aims and objectives in terms of promoting fair opportunity and fair play among national school sports competitions in Ghana. The study recommends that the Ministry of Youth and Sport in conjunction with the Ghana Education Services should outline measures that will ensure that athletes who participate in zonal or national school competitions are screened before participation