A team is a specific type of group that has certain characteristics (Carron & Eys, 2012). These characteristics include having two or more members who share a common goal, interact with each other, and identify themselves as part of the group. Teams usually have goals that they work towards together, and they often compete against other teams. Teams also have a limited lifespan compared to other groups. Members of a team usually depend on each other to complete their tasks, but this is not always the case. There are different types of teams, some where all members work together, and others where some members work independently (Evans et al., 2012).
In sports, there are teams that directly compete against each other, and others where members compete individually but still work towards a team victory. Finally, there are groups of individuals who behave like a team but do not have a group outcome. They may influence each other’s outcomes by competing against each other or not, but they still share some resources. In sports, teams have unique dynamics that need to be carefully considered (Eyes & Peterson, 2019).
Carron, A. V., & Eys, M. A. (2012). Group dynamics in sport (4th ed.). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.
Evans, M. B., Eys, M. A., & Bruner, M. W. (2012). Seeing the “We” in “Me” sports: The need to consider individual sport team environments. Canadian Psychology, 53, 301308.
Eyes, M. A, & Peterson, B. (2019). In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
