The Relationship Between the Leadership Style of Coaches, Group Cohesion and Competitive Anxiety in Women's Futsal Premier League

No athlete can be successful when he/she has not a cognizant and competent coach. The Purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between coache's leadership styles and team cohesion and competitive anxiety in Iranian women's futsal Premier League. Research method was descriptive- correlation and carried out based on a field study approach. The statistical population was consisting of the all players of eleven teams who contributed in the 9th annual women`s Futsal league championship in the year 92-93(N=123). The whole population members contributed as a statistical sample in the current research. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that only the leadership style of positive feedback and autocrat are capable of anticipating Group cohesion within the five-leadership style. The results of this test have determined the leadership method of education and training as the most powerful reason for anticipating the cognitive and physical anxiety. Based on the underlying results of the current research, it is suggested that the women`s Futsal coaches of the country should choose the appropriate leadership styles with respect to the players` personal characteristics as well as team conditions in order to properly control the Group cohesion and competitive anxiety. Further, it is recommended that the coaches pay attention not only to the players` physical preparation, but also to the physiological aspect and the players` competitive anxiety because pre-competition anxiety can affect the players` technical and physical preparation leading to disorders in the athlete's performance.