ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES AND BASIC MOTOR SKILL PROFICIENCY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL ATHLETIC POPULATION

Research Problem: Many secondary school training programmes in Nigeria do not systematically incorporate plyometric routines, which creates uncertainty about their influence on motor skill development among school-aged athletes. This study investigates the relationship between plyometric exercise participation and basic motor skill proficiency among secondary school athletes in Egor Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. Plyometric training, characterized by rapid stretch-shortening cycles, enhances explosive power, neuromuscular efficiency, agility, balance, sprint speed, and leg powerkey foundational skills often underdeveloped in Nigerian youth due to informal physical education programs. Methods/theory: A correlational design was employed with 174 student-athletes (aged 13-18) from three public secondary schools, primarily in football (43.1%) and track and field (35.1%). Data collection utilized a researcher-designed proforma and standardized tests: shuttle run for agility, stork stand for balance, 30-meter sprint for speed, and vertical jump for leg power. Instruments showed high reliability (0.81-0.90 via test-retest). Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted at p<0.05 significance using SPSS 27, grounded in motor learning, stretch-shortening cycle, and neuromuscular adaptation theories. Results: Findings revealed significant positive relationships across all motor skills. Frequency of plyometric exercises correlated strongly with overall proficiency (r=0.723, p=0.025). Regression models confirmed predictions: agility (R=0.677, R²=0.864, p=0.001), balance (R=0.533, R²=0.707, p=0.000), sprint speed (R=0.187, R²=0.740, p=0.001), and leg power (R=0.176, R²=0.745, p=0.001), rejecting all null hypotheses.. Results align with global evidence (e.g., Michailidis 2013; Chaouachi et al. 2017), affirming plyometrics' role in youth athletic development amid local research gaps. Conclusion: The study underscores plyometrics as a low-cost, effective intervention for Nigerian school sports, enhancing performance and injury prevention via proprioceptive gains. Contribution to Knowledge: The study provides localized evidence addressing a research gap where prior work focused on university athletes or international samples. It demonstrates plyometrics as a low-cost, effective intervention for enhancing youth athletic development, injury prevention via proprioception, and foundational skills in informal physical education settings. Recommendation: These include longitudinal trials, supervised vs. unsupervised comparisons, and sport-specific analyses to optimize integration into curricula, fostering long-term athlete development.