SPORT PSYCHOLOGY IN CARIBBEAN CONTEXT
Building a team that can coordinate and speak up
Connect cohesion to the sporting task and make leadership responsibilities visible across the group.
Original educational explanation with fictional sporting examples. This is not a peer-reviewed publication or evidence that an intervention was tested locally. Read the learning standards.
Friendship is only part of the picture
A fictional Trinidad and Tobago school relay squad enjoys spending time together but argues after an exchange error. Its social connection does not tell us whether exchange roles and cues were understood. A useful discussion asks how the group works together toward the sporting task as well as how members relate socially.
Replace ‘this team has no chemistry’ with questions that can be investigated. Who checked the cue? Who understood the agreed sequence? What happened when someone was unsure? These questions direct students toward coordination and communication instead of a vague judgement about personalities. They also leave room for several explanations of one error.
Match leadership to functions
Cotterill, Loughead and Fransen's review considers formal and informal athlete leadership and the value of examining different functions. A captain may have important responsibilities without meeting every need alone. Shared leadership becomes meaningful when the team knows which person is responsible for which function and how that work is coordinated.
Sources: Cotterill, Loughead & Fransen (2022): athlete leadership in sport teams ↗
Make an agreement the team can use
For the fictional squad, one athlete could confirm exchange cues, another could invite questions and the captain could coordinate the review with the coach. These are proposed classroom roles, not universal assignments. Ask whether each person understands the job, has the opportunity to do it and knows when to report a problem.
A short check-back might be: ‘Tell me the cue you are listening for, and where you still need clarification.’ It gives uncertainty a place in the conversation. Avoid turning cohesion into pressure to agree silently, tolerate humiliation or conceal a concern. Shared responsibility for a drill does not transfer the coach's safeguarding duties to a student athlete.
Review coordination and participation
During the next agreed practice opportunity, observe whether cues are checked and whether members can raise questions. Invite quieter athletes to contribute without requiring personal disclosures in front of the group. Ask what was clearer and what still failed. A successful exchange is relevant, but one trial cannot prove a general improvement in cohesion.
For a transfer task, design the same conversation for a netball defensive unit or a cricket fielding group. Identify which leadership function stays similar and which details change with the sport. This tests understanding more effectively than copying the relay script word for word.
Research and source links
Read the source type, methods and limitations. Some publishers may require institutional access.