Effective Communication as a Mediator between Leadership and Team Cohesion in Football Teams

This study examines the relationship between leadership characteristics, communication skills, and team unity among football team captains. It also investigates the mediating effect of effective communication on the relationship between leadership and team unity . The study involved football players (n = 324) from 19 teams in the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) 2nd League. “Leadership for Sport Scale (LSS)”, “Team Cohesion Inventory” and “Effective Communication Scale in Team Sports” were used to collect the data. In the research, frequency, Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis, Anova, Pearson correlation and regression analysis methods such as frequency, Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis, correlated mediation effect method were used by Andrew F. Hayes using Process v4.2 software. Analysis results showed that athletes' perceptions of leadership, communication, and team unity varied based on certain demographic characteristics. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between leadership in sports and both effective communication and team unity . Finally, effective communication was found to mediate the relationship between leadership and team unity . Effective communication plays a crucial role in connecting team captains’ leadership characteristics with team unity . Additionally, the development of effective communication and team unity is directly related to the presence of an effective leader. In conclusion, communication skills significantly contribute to team captains' perceptions of leadership style and team unity.