The extent to which certain psychological skills affect the cohesion of a sports team in football: A case study of an amateur sports team.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify certain psychological skills, such as visualization, relaxation, anxiety management, focus and attention, self-confidence, and athletic achievement motivation, and their relationship to team cohesion. This is based on the observation that there is a lack of attention to this aspect among sports teams, as noted by the researchers in the field. The study sample consisted of the Al-Amal Al-Arbaa football team. Methodologically, and to arrive at realistic results, the descriptive approach was adopted, using both a psychological skills scale and a sports team cohesion scale to collect relevant data. This data was then statistically analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The results obtained by the researchers showed no statistically significant relationship between the dimensions of the sports team cohesion scale and the psychological skills dimensions (visualization, relaxation, anxiety management, focus and attention, self-confidence, and athletic achievement motivation). Similarly, no statistically significant relationship was found between After focusing on the sense of responsibility for the sports team cohesion scale and the dimensions of psychological skills (the ability to relax, the ability to cope with anxiety, the ability to focus and pay attention, and the motivation for athletic achievement), no significant correlation was found except with two dimensions of psychological skills: (the ability to visualize and self-confidence). In conclusion, our research indicates that recognizing the importance of psychological skills is a key factor in achieving success and optimal athletic results. This can be achieved by utilizing a sports psychologist and coordinating between them and the coach for the success of the training process. Furthermore, it is essential for the sports psychologist to develop and enhance the psychological skills and the tendency towards team cohesion among football players, paying attention to identifying strengths and weaknesses, observing their development, and continuously evaluating them while recording the performance of each player.