The effectiveness of a team goal setting program on cohesion in sport /

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the implementation of a team goal setting program increased perceptions of cohesion. The participants came from eight female high school senior basketball teams from the Montreal region. A team goal setting intervention program was implemented over the course of the regular season with four teams. The remaining four teams were placed into the no-treatment control condition. Each participant completed a questionnaire that assessed cohesion within the first four weeks of the competitive season and at the end of the season. Results showed that participants in the team goal setting condition did not significantly increase perceptions of cohesion. However, athletes in the control condition significantly perceived a decrease in cohesion from the start of the season to the end of the season. The team goal setting intervention appeared to keep cohesion levels from decreasing throughout the season. Practical implications are discussed