LAUSR

Objectives: With an overarching aim of investigating the importance of group perceptions on factors believed to underpin the quantity and quality of athletic practice, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between perceptions of group cohesion and elite youth soccer players' basic psychological needs satisfaction and self‐regulation over a one‐year period. Design: Prospective study design involving data collection at two time‐points over a one‐year period. Method: A total of 332 elite youth soccer players selected at Norwegian regional U14 (N = 154) and U 13 (N = 178) levels completed questionnaires measuring perceptions of club‐team cohesion, and individual needs satisfaction, and self‐regulation at baseline and one‐year follow‐up. Results: While perceptions of task cohesion remained consistent over the study period, social cohesion, needs satisfaction, and self‐regulation decreased. Controlling for baseline values, structural equation modelling revealed social cohesion at time 2 to be positively associated with needs satisfaction at time 2, but not self‐regulation. Task cohesion at time 1 was negatively associated with self‐regulation at time 2, yet no association was found for needs satisfaction. Conclusions: The findings indicate a beneficial role of social cohesion in maintaining or increasing elite youth soccer players' needs satisfaction, and although explanations for the negative association between task cohesion and self‐regulation can be gleaned from the literature, this relationship requires further investigation. HighlightsThis study measured cohesion, basic needs and self‐regulation over two time‐points.Sample included youth soccer players from the highest competition level in Norway.Social cohesion, needs satisfaction and self‐regulation decreased across time‐points.Social cohesion was positively associated with needs satisfaction over the study period.Task cohesion at baseline was negatively related to self‐regulation.