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GOAL SETTING FOR ATHLETIC
SUCCESS
By Coach John Haubrick , CSCS
In
order for an athlete’s training to produce real results there must be a purpose
behind it. If there is no
ultimate goal or measurable outcome the performance workouts will lose their
meaning and often the
interest and motivation of the athlete will be compromised. Any athlete
desiring to travel the road to
athletic success must first begin by making a map for the journey.
Goal setting is a very important part of any serious athlete’s training. Goals
define and drive the training
protocols to best meet the needs of the individual. With a clearly defined
focus, athletes are more likely
to stick with a program and keep focused on the things that will help them
attain those goals.
Setting proper goals should be a team effort with the athlete, his/her parents,
sports coach and the
strength and conditioning coach. An athlete’s achievement is dependent upon
everyone in the team
sharing the same goal. It is his/her team that will contribute their expertise
to help the athlete on the
journey towards success. By setting goals with a team, the athlete is now
accountable to others, which
is important in goal setting.
Both general and specific goals should be made. They must be attainable, yet
challenging. Telling a
ten year-old that they should make the major leagues is a little unrealistic.
If playing in professional
sports is their only goal, then there will be many disappointed athletes walking
around. Success is
defined differently for each person, depending upon your genetic make-up, your
opportunities, and your
level of support.
Most goals fail as a result of the goal being too general and long term. If one
started a marathon and
only concentrated on how far it is to the finish line, they will probably run a
miserable race. It is when the
runner can concentrate on only the next step is when they can keep focus and
continue forward at the
right pace. Once a long term (1 – 5 years) goal is set it must then be broken
down into months, weeks,
days, workouts, exercises, sets, and even reps.
In almost every training session an athlete can try to achieve a new personal
best. Having the athletes
keep record logs is a good way to monitor progress. Seeing improvement and
focusing on just one
workout, the athlete starts to chip away at their ultimate longer term goals.
Goal setting must be an ongoing process. The athlete and support team must
continually monitor,
evaluate and re-define the goals. If the goals are being met then higher goals
can be set. If the athlete
is constantly failing, then evaluate the athlete’s commitment and maybe
re-evaluate whether or not the
goal is realistic.
No one ever won a marathon without running that first step. And the first step
is where many people are
too afraid to begin. Take the step and before you know it the finish line will
come into sight.
This
article was published in a weekly sports performance newsletter developed by
Finish First Sports Performance.
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