Group Cohesivness, Normalization of Agression and Athletic performance : An Example of the Sesvete Double Blues Club in Zagreb

Slobodno vrijeme i sportske aktivnosti bitne su pojave današnjice jer usmjeravaju ljudske težnje i djelovanje. Uz fizičke aspekte sporta, pažnja se posvećuje i psihološkim aspektima. Razmatraju se pojmovi poput mentalne snage, psihološke spremnosti, pozitivnih mentalnih slika i emocija u sportu i koliki je njihov utjecaj na vrhunske rezultate sportaša. Cilj ovoga rada je pobliže opisati navedene pojmove na primjeru australskog nogometa u Hrvatskoj, specifično kluba Sesvete Double Blues. Također će se pobliže opisati osnovni elementi australskog nogometa, manje poznatog sporta u ovim prostorima. Unatoč svim poteškoćama koje, ovaj malo zastupljeni sport stavlja pred njih, oni i dalje ostvaruju zavidne rezultate. U radu će se istražiti što ih motivira i što je zaslužno za njihov uspjeh. Leisure time and sports are important phenomena of today because they direct human aspirations and actions. In addition to the physical aspects of sports, attention is also paid to psychological aspects. Concepts such as mental strength, psychological readiness, positive mental images and emotions in sports and how much of their impact is on athletes top results are discussed. The aim of this paper is to describe these concepts in more detail on the example of Australian football in Croatia, specifically the club Sesvete Double Blues. It will also describe in more detail the basic elements of Australian football, a lesser known sport in the area. Despite all the difficulties that this underrepresented sport puts in front of them, they still achive enviable results. The paper will explore what motivates them and what is responsible for their success.