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Knowledge mobilization is the process of sharing evidence-based findings with an audience who can use those findings in practice. Knowledge mobilization helps close the gap between what is known and what is done. Closing this knowledge-to-action gap can advance the sport sector by providing sport stakeholders with information that enables them to enhance practice, policies and programs.

New research on Canadian strength and conditioning coaches has shed light on demographics. The study found that the mean age of coaches was 34 years. 77.% of participants were male and 90.7% did not identify as a visible minority. This demographic data can inform future targeted recruitment and mentoring within the field.

Coaches report many barriers associated with certification in Canada including the time-consuming process, inaccessibility of locations and expense of courses. Many coaches do not perceive certification to be career advancing. SIRC interviewed Joseph Gurgis, Assistant Professor at Nipissing University, about what promotes versus what deters coaching certification in Canada.

A holistic ecological approach (HEA) to athlete development focuses on thinking beyond solely the confines of a training session, and instead taking into account all the settings, relationships and networks of an athlete’s life. Coaches seeking to implement HEA can try taking into account other stressors in athlete lives (for example, exam schedules), manage training load around them, offer environments that promote peer-to-peer support, and provide mentorship opportunities.

Coaches play an important role in supporting athletes’ mental health. Researchers found that providing positive reinforcement to athletes seeking mental health care can promote a team culture that supports athletes’ mental health. Additionally, coaches can foster positive mental health environments by encouraging athletes to take breaks from training as needed and by connecting athletes to mental health resources.

In sport, we often hear athletes and coaches talking about how “united” their team is and the great “chemistry” that they have. Broadly, these terms reflect the concept of cohesion. Cohesion is frequently described as the glue that holds a team together, and as a result, produces positive outcomes for individual athletes (for example, increased player retention and role commitment) and for teams (for example, enhanced performance and collective efficacy).

In this blog, we define cohesion and provide coaches with practical strategies to promote cohesion within the teams they lead.

What is cohesion?

Early research described cohesion as the total forces causing members to remain in a group, including both the attractiveness of the group (for example, high quality friendships) and the ways in which a group can promote the achievement of performance objectives (Festinger et coll., 1963). Researchers have also described cohesion as the resistance to disruption or conflict, in that highly cohesive teams are expected to be more resilient (Gross & Martin, 1952). In sport, cohesion is described as the tendency for team members to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of achieving goals as well as satisfying members’ emotional needs (Carron et coll., 1985).

There are many factors that can influence whether a team is cohesive or not. These factors can differ from team to team and change over time (Carron et coll., 1985). Given the complexities of cohesion, it is helpful to consider the specific dimensions that make up this construct.

First, cohesion is rooted in 2 types of beliefs: group integration and individual attractions to the group (Carron et coll., 1985). Group integration refers to beliefs members have about their team as a whole, while individual attractions to the group reflect beliefs members have about their personal benefits of being a team member.

Second, cohesion is made up of task and social components (Carron et coll., 1985). Task cohesion refers to activities that promote task achievement and performance, while social cohesion focuses on the formation and maintenance of positive relationships (Van Vianen & Dreu, 2010).

The individual-group and task-social dimensions of cohesion also interact. At the group level, athletes may reflect on task-related questions such as, “How united is our team in reaching our goals?” or social-related questions, such as “Do our teammates like spending time with one another?”. At the individual level, athletes may ask task-related questions like, “Do I agree with the team’s game tactics?” or social-related questions like, “Do I feel included in this team?”.  

Of note, research shows that adult athletes (aged 18 and older) perceive social and task cohesion at both the individual and group-level, while children and adolescents (aged 9-17) only perceive social and task cohesion (Eys et coll., 2009). As a coach, this means that it is important to promote the engagement in team building activities that are age and developmentally appropriate for your athletes.

Can you have too much cohesion?

Is promoting high levels of cohesion always a good thing? Being part of a group can inherently result in negative social interactions such as the pressure to conform and disregarding specific team members’ perspectives. These processes can become even more problematic when a team is highly cohesive (Eys et coll., 2020; Park et coll., 2022). In particular, such problems occur when athletes or coaches place too much emphasis on either task or social cohesion while disregarding the other.

For instance, too much emphasis on only task cohesion may lead to increased pressure, less enjoyment, and decreased social relations (Hardy et coll., 2005). In comparison, an extreme focus on social cohesion may lead to a lack of goal attainment, difficulties in focusing on the task at hand or socially isolating specific members (Hardy et coll., 2005; Rovio et coll., 2009).

Despite these concerns, the benefits of achieving a highly cohesive team seem to outweigh any of the potential consequences. Moreover, it is likely key that to promote a highly cohesive, well-functioning team, one must find a balance between social and task cohesion.

Strategies for coaches

To maximize the benefits associated with cohesion, a coach should undertake activities that are both task and socially oriented. Recommendations are provided below on how to go about promoting a cohesive team. While children, adolescents, and adults may perceive cohesion differently, these recommendations broadly target the task and social dimensions of cohesion that can be tailored to meet the needs of your athletes (Bloom et coll., 2008; Carron et coll., 1997; Holt et coll., 2008; Paradis & Martin, 2012; Martin et coll., 2013). 

Task

Social

Final thoughts

Cohesion is a dynamic and multidimensional construct. Given its complexities, using a variety of exercises and team building strategies that are task and socially oriented helps to ensure that cohesion is being developed purposefully and in the most effective way. So, the next time you see an athlete giving a teammate a high-five, host an athlete check-in meeting, or go out for a team dinner, remember that all of this can serve as the glue to build one cohesive team!

The relationship between coach and athlete can make or break an athlete’s experience. Recent research shows that understanding an athlete’s attachment style can help coaches tailor aspects of their communication and behaviour to best suit the athlete’s needs.

Young gymnasts are most at risk for growth-related and overuse injuries. Two risk factors of these types of injury are maturation and training load. Currently, little is known regarding coaching knowledge and practice related to these risks. This study examines coach knowledge and identifies gaps to help promote athlete safety.

Ensuring that athletes feel comfortable voicing their opinion (and have it considered and respected) is an important aspect of psychological safety in sport. A recent study of 379 athletes showed that those who felt they could be open with their coaches and teammates were more likely to feel psychologically safe, and to have a positive coach-athlete relationship.

Less research has focused on doping in Paralympic sport than Olympic sport. A recent study focused on Para sport coaches showed that they identify doping as an issue in Para sport and that it often stems from financial incentives and pressure to win.