The relationship between leader behavior, team cohesion and performance in high school sports

The present study examines the relationship of perceived coaching behavior, team cohesion, and performance in different types of sport. It also looks at the development of cohesion over time and if it is affected by other variables. Coaching behavior was defined using Chelladurai’s (1978) Multidimensional model of leadership, and team cohesion is defined using Widmeyer’s et al. (1985) Conceptual Model of Cohesion. This examination was done using high school soccer and baseball teams. It was determined that the coaches for the baseball and soccer teams rated highest in training and instruction, and positive feedback. For this reason, an analysis of leadership between the sports was not possible. A MANOVA was carried out to determine if time and other variables of leadership, team differences, and sport differences played a role in the development of cohesion. Time had no significant effect on cohesion, and there was just a moderate effect on team differences in individual attraction to group-task and social. Logistic regression revealed that soccer teams who were more successful tended to have higher cohesion as opposed to baseball teams who were more successful tended to have lower cohesion. This demonstrated the differences between baseball and soccer in which soccer is a more interactive sport and requires greater cooperation and coordination to be successful.