It is not uncommon for the skill level of opponents to be equal in the arena of competitive sport. In such contests, one factor that can make the difference between winning and losing is a team's level of cohesiveness. Researchers have identified two types of cohesion.

Task cohesion is defined as a general orientation toward achieving a group's goals and objectives. Social cohesion is defined as a general orientation toward developing and maintaining social relationships within a group (Carron, Widmeyer, & Brawley, 1985). In the sport realm, a coach and the team must be more concerned with task cohesion than with social cohesion.

Increases in task cohesion will ultimately lead to success. Goals are an important ingredient of success and they play a major role in the development of individual athletes' skill and in the development of task cohesion. It is important to understand that success does not always mean winning. Not all teams have the ability to win, but they can all experience success through the accomplishment of goals. Success is an important aspect of task cohesion, therefore, the more success a team experiences, the higher the cohesion (Bird, 1977; Carron, 1982). Goals can help significantly in the development of task cohesion. The following are some ideas for developing effective team goals:

Team goals should be developed by the athletes and coaches together.

The coach should not be the sole decision maker in the establishment of "team" goals. The coach and the team captains can provide leadership in goal setting, but ultimately, goals should be determined by the whole team. Developing the goals together gives all athletes a sense of ownership and assures commitment. If everyone owns the goals, everyone will work together to achieve the goals.

Goals should be realistic and specific.

Goals which state that the team will win every game in the season or will win the season championship do not motivate throughout the season. Members may lose sight of goals and stray from the path necessary to accomplish goals (Weinberg et al, 1991). An example of a specific goal may be to practice free throw shots until 20 in a row are made. Another example may be to make three more sacks in tonight's football game than were made in the last game.

Each team member must take responsibility for the goals.

It is important that each athlete understand his/ her individual responsibilities in order to successfully contribute to the team goals. Personal goals can and should be made in accordance with team goals.

Process goals should be established.

Process goals help make clear the path that will be taken to reach the ultimate team goals. Process goals describe what is to be done in practice, as well as competition, and are not focused on the outcome (Locke & Latham, 1985). Process goals enhance cohesion by providing daily successes that are accomplished by the team together. An example of a process goal is to have one less error in today's scrimmage.

The team must focus on the positive aspects of practice and competition.

Dwelling on negative outcomes or mistakes may cause the team to lose sight of it's goals. It is difficult to re-focus once distractions become the focus of attention.

Cohesion is sometimes difficult to understand and to develop. One consistent finding in research, however, is that cohesion seems to be an important aspect of success in sport and that goal setting can aid in the development of task cohesion. In conclusion, success increases task cohesion and in turn, cohesion increases goal related success. The old adage remains true, "Together we stand, divided we fall.&

References:

Bird, A.M. (1977). Team structure and success as related to cohesiveness and leadership. The Journal of Social Psychology, 103, 217-223.

Carron, A.V. (1982). Cohesiveness in sport groups: Interpretations and considerations. Journal of Sport Psychology, 4, 123-138.

Carron, A.V., Widmeyer, W.N., & Brawley, L.R. (1985). The development of an instrument to assess cohesion in sport teams: The Group Environment Questionnaire. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7, 244-266.

Locke, E.A., & Latham, G.P. (1985). The application of goal setting to sports. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7, 205-222.

Weinberg, R., Fowler, C., Jackson, A., Bagnall, J., & Bruya, L. (1991). Effect of goal difficulty on motor performance: A replication across tasks and subjects. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13, 160-173.

02/01/99