Abstract:
The study assessed the relationship between the availability of sports facilities and the development of
sporting talent among students in public secondary schools in Meru County, Kenya. The study attempted to
establish whether, with increased sports facilities, the students’ sporting talent development improved. The
research employed a convergent parallel design, merging quantitative data from questionnaires and
qualitative data from semi-structured interviews conducted with principals, games masters, and students
from 172 schools in Meru county. The analytical methods included the use of both descriptive and inferential
statistics. The results indicated a direct relationship between the quality of sports facilities and the level of
student sports talent development. Precisely, schools with better-developed sports facilities are favorably
positioned to report better student participation and their performance in sports. For example, 56.5% of the
respondents felt the current facilities were wanting, which affects the students' performance in sports. The
null hypothesis (Ho), however, was rejected, yielding evidence of a significant relationship between the
provision of facilities and sporting talent development (Chi-square=51.80, p<.00001). The study
recommends to school administrators that facility improvement and maintenance be given the highest
consideration, such that more and more facilities are opened up for the use of all students. The allocation of
sports facilities resources in public schools must be an agenda of policy planners. Further, sports programs
have to be assessed continuously and realigned to the needs of students at all times. In effect, these point to
the need for adequate facilities to provide support for the development of student-athletes. The study is
crucial not only in bridging the regional gap that existed in such data but also as a model for other similar
research exercises in other contexts toward policy enhancement and educational planning for the holistic
development of students through sports.
