STUDENT-ATHLETES' PERCEPTION OF WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY IN SPORT PERFORMANCES TRACKING

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the student-athletes’ perception of wearable devices in tracking sports performances at the University of Benin. The research explored the extent to which wearable devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, compression gear, and smart shoes contribute to optimizing athletic performance and how student-athletes perceive their importance. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. To guide the study four research questions were raised and the descriptive statistics was used for data analysis after data was collected from 100 respondents through a questionnaire. The findings reveal that wearable technology significantly enhances physical performance by providing real-time feedback, monitoring activity levels, and preventing overexertion. The study also establishes that the awareness and adoption of wearable technology among studentathletes are relatively high, with fitness trackers, smartwatches, and GPS devices being the most commonly used devices. However, barriers such as cost, lack of knowledge, and discomfort limit broader adoption. The study concludes that wearable technology plays a crucial role in enhancing student-athletes’ performance. It was recommended that studentathletes prioritize wearable technology, trainers and coaches would be encouraged to adopt its usage.