Perceptions of Cohesion by Youth Sport Participants

Abstract

Cohesion is an important small group variable within sport. However, the conceptualization and examination of cohesion have predominately been oriented toward adult populations. The purpose of the current study was to garner an understanding of what cohesion means to youth sport participants. Fifty-six team sport athletes (Mage = 15.63 ± 1.01 years) from two secondary schools took part in focus groups designed to understand participants’ perceptions of (a) the definition of cohesion and indicators of cohesive and noncohesive groups and (b) methods used to attempt to develop cohesion in their groups. Overall, the responses to part (a) yielded 10 categories reflecting a group’s task cohesion and 7 categories reflecting a group’s social cohesion. Finally, participants highlighted eight general methods through which their groups developed cohesion. Results are discussed in relation to a current conceptualization of cohesion and affiliation considerations within a youth sport environment.

Development of a cohesion inventory for children's sport teams.

“…It was believed that the analysis of previously conducted studies examining children and youth sport (e.g., Eys et al, 2009a;Eys, Loughead, Bray, & Carron, 2009b;McCarthy, Jones, & Clark-Carter, 2008;Ulrich-French & Smith, 2009; would help in item generation.…”

“…Recent research with younger populations (ages 13-17) however, contributes to the suggestion that youth do not necessarily perceive cohesion in the same way as adults (Eys, Loughead, Bray, & Carron, 2009a;Eys, Loughead, Bray, & Carron, 2009b). Eys and colleagues found that although youth participants could easily understand and discuss aspects of cohesion, they did not perceive the four-factor structure advanced by Carron and his colleagues (Carron et al, , 2002.…”

“…These approaches have been used in qualitative research with youth and children (e.g., Eys et al, 2009a;Munroe-Chandler, Hall, Fishburne, & Strachan, 2007). More specifically, initially, the responses were categorized deductively using the and Eys et al (2009b) conceptual models of cohesion for adults and youth; both of these models distinguished between task and social cohesion. Subsequent analyses involved inductive categorizations based on two main operations suggested by Côté, Salmela, Baria, and Russell (1993).…”

Análise Do Nível De Coesão De Grupo E Do Estresse Psicológico Pré-Competitivo De Atletas Adultos De Voleibol

“…Observa-se na literatura que os avanços das pesquisas em relação à coesão de grupo estão relacionados a estratégias de intervenção ao longo da temporada 6 , liderança do treinador 7,8 , eficácia coletiva 9 , desempenho 10 , satisfação de atletas 11 e ansiedade 12 . Enquanto que as pesquisas voltadas ao estresse têm se relacionado com diferentes modalidades coletivas e individuais 13,14 , estratégias de coping 15,16 , jovens atletas 17 e overtraining 18 .…”

“…O presente estudo tem como base teórica o modelo conceitual de coesão no esporte de Carron et al 19 , o qual aponta que a coesão de grupo pode ser influenciada negativa ou positivamente pelos aspectos psicológicos individuais dos atletas, como o estresse psicológico pré-competitivo 12 . Considerando que o estresse pode interferir na coesão de grupo e no desempenho do atleta, evidencia-se a relevância de estudos que abordem estas duas variáveis 3,20 .…”