“Together, We Can Do This”: The Best Sport Teams Are Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts

Abstract

Once upon a time, it was believed that the sport team with the best individual star players would be most likely to win all the trophies. Then one day, athletes, coaches, and sport fans, together with scientists (including sport psychologists), noticed that this did not always happen—so people began to doubt the idea. This was a concern because, for coaches to create great sport teams that can reach their potentials, the key ingredients for team success must be understood. Over time, there has been a shift from looking at the talent of individual star players to looking at teamwork. In this article, you will discover how the feeling of connection and relationship between players—their sense of togetherness —is the key ingredient in sport-team success. You will also learn some ideas for how to develop togetherness.