EFFECTS OF 12-WEEK JOGGING PROGRAMME ON SKILLRELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS COMPONENTS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SAFANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigated the effects of a structured 12-week jogging programme on skillrelated physical fitness components (power, agility, and speed) among senior secondary school students in Safana Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria. Using a randomised controlled trial design, 50 participants aged 15-21 years were purposively selected from 569 students across two schools: Community Day Secondary School (experimental group, n=25) and Government Pilot Secondary School (control group, n=25). The experimental group participated in structured jogging while the control group maintained regular activities. Outcome measures included vertical jump test for power, Illinois agility run test for agility, and 30-meter sprint test for speed. Data analysis using ANCOVA at α = 0.05 revealed significant improvements favouring the experimental group: power (F(1,49) = 12.92, p = 0.001, partial η² = 0.216), agility (F(1,49) = 16.08, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.262), and speed (F(1,49) = 50.48, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.528). Posttest means favoured the experimental group in power (37.92 ± 6.71 vs. 31.36 ± 6.10 cm), agility (17.96 ± 1.25 vs. 18.92 ± 1.72 s), and speed (4.24 ± 0.16 vs. 5.41 ± 0.83 s). The study concludes that structured jogging interventions significantly enhance skill-related physical fitness components in Nigerian secondary school students, with speed demonstrating the most pronounced improvement. The study recommends integrating structured jogging programmes into school curricula, training physical education teachers in programme design and monitoring, and conducting longitudinal research to assess long-term sustainability and academic performance relationships.