Team coordination in sports means arranging team members’ actions so that, when combined, they are in suitable relation for the most effective result (Eccles, 2016). Three things are important for effective team coordination: what each team member needs to do, when they need to do it, and where they need to do it (Eccles, 2016). When team members possess a similar or shared understanding of how the team and specific team members will act in certain performance situations, team coordination will be enhanced (Eccles, 2016). Eccles and colleagues (2016) proposed a conceptual framework for team coordination which suggests that shared understanding can be acquired and/or updated prior to competition through explicit planning and practice of team actions and during competition through communication among teammates. Effective communication among team members, both prior to and during competition, is a key strategy to enhancing shared understanding and the quality of team coordination (Eccles, 2016). Coaches can help by communicating detailed plans of action and checking that everyone understands them (Eccles, 2016).
It’s important to note that there is still more research needed to test the potential associations among team coordination, team performance, and the extent to which understanding of team actions is shared in a team (Eccles, 2016).
Eccles, D. W. (2016). Team coordination. In R. Schinke, K. McGannon, & B. Smith (Eds.), The Routledge international handbook of sport psychology (pp. 463470). London, UK: Routledge.
