Social and Cognitive Processes in Sport
Sports are characterized with an active diversion that requires competition and physical exertion. It is argued that sports necessitates coordination among the members in initiating wining strategies in order to gain a competitive edge over others parties involved in the sporting (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Group coaching is realized after people with a single vision come together in formulating a way forward through the sports. Social psychology has undergone transformation as a result of globalization and socialization. Social psychology and sports are directly correlated, mainly in attributes of: team cohesion, communication, motivation, audience effects, social relationships, morality and coach leadership (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
Interactions and dynamics involved in sports have a direct influence on the outcome of a game. Performance and experience are the major components that characterize a winning team; which are affirmed by coach leadership and the group dynamics (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). A coach acts as the leader in the team, while the athletes act as the followers. Effective leadership is characterized with the athlete and the coach willingly coming together to develop a winning team.
Superior leaders possess a number of abilities and traits. The coach must emphasize the mission, vision, goals and competency. In addition, the coach must emphasize on better communication skills, building a strong team, interpersonal skills, an attitude of do it all, inspiration and a winning ambition (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). All these attributes influence the relationship between the athletes and the coach. Athletes must be motivated by the coach, and at the same time, the coach must be motivated by the athletes.
Motivation is the driving force behind the coach-athletes relationship. It is argued that motivation is the inner force that gives an individual energy to pursue the desired outcomes (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Motivation can be developed from within or outside the setup, the coach and the athletes both have an influence on one another in reaching a desired target. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are focused to a long term lasting relationship, subject orientation, self sustenance, changing behavior and exercising knowledge and efforts in developing a winning team (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011). Motivation and perception of issues are directly correlated depending on the attitude of the coach and the athletes (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
Supportive autonomy models are influenced by the behaviors of the athletes and the coaches. A healthy relationship between the coach and the athletes is developed through the initiation of the right work structure and active involvement. Athletes and coaches who are motivated show competence, relatedness, and autonomy. These attributes are critical to developing a winning team (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
Psychological processes are influential on the general performance of the coach and the athletes. Social processes and the personality of the coaches and the athletes also influence the motivation towards the desired target. Group dynamics is developed by active members with a common vision and mission (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
The application of the athletes-coach relationship in the current world can be encouraged through maintaining originality of training. Doping is a problem in the twenty first century, where athletes use drugs to enhance their performance. The illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs can lead to conflicts among the athletes and the coaches. Coaches encourage athletes to do vigorous physical activities in winning the competitions, Originality in the sports performance is the attribute encouraged by the coaches and the relevant authorities.
The relationship formed between coaches and athletes is critical in defining the relationship of people in the society. People are expected to coordinate and live in harmony, as society is comprised of multicultural frameworks. It is important to recognize that teams at times wins and at other time lose the game (Jowett & Lavallee, 2011).
References
Jowett, S. & Lavallee, D. (2011). Social Psychology in Sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
