Setting Goals for SportsAccelerates the Learning ProcessSetting goals creates a path for athletes to follow to master sport skills. It is an effective motivational technique that boosts skill learning as well as performance in competition. Athletes tend to be more focused and committed to training when goals are clearly established and they know unquestionably when they have achieved them.
2. Performance goals are used to improve an athlete's individual performance. For example, increase a baseball player's batting average from .325 to .335.
Tips for Setting Goals and Tracking Progress1. Set realistic, yet challenging goals. More difficult goals lead to better results than easy goals.2. Be very specific about what you expect the athlete to accomplish. Specific goals are more effective than do-your-best goals or no goals. 3. Set goals that are meaningful. Athletes must understand the relevance of goals if they are to be motivated to achieve them. 4. Identify the target skills that an athlete needs to develop, as well as the conditions under which the athlete is to perform these skills. For example, hit 70% of free throws in overtime play in basketball. 5. Offer constructive coaching feedback feedback and be precise about the ways in which athletes are progressing. Feedback produces better performances than no feedback at all. 6. Invite athletes to participate in the goal setting process and provide input about their progress. This leads to better results than assigning goals without their involvement. 7. Adjust goals to accommodate individual differences, such as age, gender, physical attributes, abilities, stage of learning, past experience, or other pertinent qualities. 8. Provide scores, such as from fitness or sport skill tests, to show objective measures of how the athlete is progressing. 
Related pages: Transfer of Training Training Variation
Back To Mental Training for Sports
|
