DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION SKILLS OF JUNIOR ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS - A 5-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

The hypothesis that the cooperation skills of junior ice hockey player s improve with age was examined with teams from Czechoslovakia, Finlan d and Sweden. Forty to seventy-four players born in 1974 participated in this study. The cooperation skills were measured once a year during a period of five years (1985-1989). The compatibility of the players was measured by a homeostat developed in Russia and the cohesion of th e teams by a sociometric questionnaire and by the Sport Cohesiveness Q uestionnaire. Both compatibility and cohesion improved to the age of 1 3, but weakened after that. This turning point is explained by the gro wing independence of boys from the influence of peers.