Goal Setting for Improvement

Setting goals in athletic performance is not a new concept at all, but it is a practice that is now receiving much attention at all levels from youth athletics to those athletes meeting at an Olympic level. The buzz around the track is 'goal setting', along with 'visualization', 'relaxation', and 'performance pressure', but few athletes seem to develop a plan for establishing, attacking, and renewing goals, skills which ultimately determine not only the degree but the speed of athletic improvement! These goals not only relate to the common concepts of performance, but also to the very process of getting to the end result, hence the terms 'performance' and 'process' goals.
Performance goals are common. Early goals for runners closely paralleled the goals of today. There was performance risk, reward, and a constant learning process. Early runners used their speed and endurance to pursue a goal . . . running down food. If successful, they reached their goal and dragged prey back to camp, learning a little bit more each time they achieved their reward. If they were unsuccessful, they gained a little more motivation for the next hunt, re-established their goals, and became more earnest in their attempts! We follow much the same historical outline as the first runners as we look to improve our performances in the field or on the track . . . our motivations change but the process is remarkably similar.
Youth athletes feel a need to improve for a variety of reasons. Parents, peers, team, and self all evaluate performances and an athlete mired in mediocrity or resting on a plateau of effort becomes noticeable. Very few athletes desire to stay static in their development, but very few also know how to establish goals which are challenging but attainable. Improvement will satisfy those people who evaluate us, but most importantly, it will satisfy the competitive athlete within . . . the most important part of the motivation process.
Where do we start on the road to setting goals? Just like establishing a route for a hike, a flight plan for an airplane, or a trip across the country in a car, we have to know our starting point. Where are we now . . . and where do we want to go? As our driving route may involve travel over rough terrain, so might our athletic goals, but we will adapt and overcome our challenges. So . . .first establish your current level of honest ability, preferably with your coach. What is your current and true PR or PB (personal record or personal best)? Once you know where you are starting from, the goals set can be attainable.
Once you know exactly where your performance level rests, consult your coach on where you want to go! Your coach will help you see several things that will determine the effectiveness of your goal setting and she or he should be closely involved in the process. To a competitive athlete, the sky may seem to be the limit in setting goals, but a coach will help temper your enthusiasm with reality and make the ultimate goals reachable. Your coach also is able to evaluate your level and potential for short and long-term improvement, critical in establishing intermediate goals as well as the long-range plan of success.
During this conference with your coach, decide on a performance goal that is long term and realistic, such as a mark in a throwing event or a PR in a track race at the end of a season or cycle of training. But setting a long-range mark is only half the plan! Any goal setting intended to succeed will have intermediary goals that are 'stair-step' and attainable at various points in your training cycle. The positive motivation you receive for hitting these intermediary goals goes a long way in ensuring your potential to hit the long-range goal. Each of these goals should also be established with the aid of your coach after looking at competitive opportunities, training plans, and your potential, but then the fun begins! After you hit each performance goal, the best part of goal setting arrives! Mom and Dad may also get involved at this step, because with attainment of a goal comes reward . . . a movie, a special dinner, a treat, or mention in a local publication! Nothing helps the long-term goal more than reward for hitting the intermediary steps.
These goals need to be 'stair-step' in nature, paralleling the way a youth athlete develops. Coaches and athletes should recognize that many training cycles are not linear but instead incorporate training 'plateaus'. The athlete needs to be able to spend a training period after hitting an intermediary goal preparing for the next one! It is unrealistic to expect 'weekly PRs' and linear development if you truly desire long-range improvement. After hitting an intermediary goal, the athlete should be rewarded and then brought into the new training cycle with a new intermediary goal as the focus . . . with the athlete at the center of the communication circle. A training period after each intermediary goal also helps develop a competitive attitude, making the performances special and lessening the chances that competition becomes a boring event . . . or over racing / over competing leading to staleness and loss of focus. Remember . . . a hungry dog fights harder! Be hungry to compete!
After each 'stair-step' performance goal is hit, spend time in re-evaluation. Was the intermediary goal too easy? Or, was the goal unrealistic according to the effort you were able to devote to hitting it? Is it possible to move up the timeframe to your long-term goal or increase the challenge, or should you reconsider the long-term goal and perhaps increase your chances of success by being more realistic? Your coach will have the experience necessary to help you with these questions which should be answered after each 'stair-step' is reached. Any long-term goal should have 3-5 intermediary goals before the final test, which means 3-5 rewards and 3-5 re-evaluations followed by the ultimate reward for hitting the final goal! The final reward may be a trip to a regional or national competition, a long-desired non-athletic possession, or any other positive motivator . . . but it should be commensurate with the effort given! A large goal requires a large motivator!
Pitfalls in goal setting include a variety of mistakes an athlete and a coach can make right from the outset. If the end goal is unrealistic, even the intermediary goals will be difficult and the goal setting loses effectiveness as the athlete develops frustration. If there is no communication between coach, parent, and athlete, the goals become quiet and move to the back of the mind. No one achieves goals alone! High goals require a good support system! Parents and coaches need to be aware of the goals and helping with reinforcement all along the way! If no reward is present during the intermediary 'stair-steps', the fun is lost and the athlete loses faith in the final goal. Pride alone is a good intrinsic motivator, but pride works extremely well in conjunction with something extrinsic such as a concert ticket, special dinner, or day at the mall. A lack of belief in the athlete will also kill any chances of hitting a long-range goal. Every member of the support system should be convinced in ultimate success, so the coach needs to be particularly thorough in determining ability . . .the parent needs to be extremely careful in addressing the issue positively . . . and the athlete needs to be as dedicated and sincere as possible.
Process goals are many times ignored, but they are the fundamentals on which performance goals are set. It is impossible to set performance goals and expect to achieve them if you have no idea of how you will attain the end result. A process goal will outline the training steps necessary for achieving ultimate success. Process goals are established in training theory as well as recovery concepts such as rest and diet. Again, these goals will have the involvement of your coach in relation to training issues, and your parents as they assist in monitoring your recovery, rest, and dietary needs as an athlete.
Process goals do not necessarily include measured efforts. It matters little whether or not you can throw the shot 6" farther this week or run the 1500 2 seconds faster. What is most critical is that you attended each workout, gave the best effort you could, and remembered all the peripherals throughout the week like racing shoes when you needed them, setting your alarm clock for workouts, and hydrated well. Just as in performance goals, the process goals should also have small rewards built in at intermediary steps. If you attend workouts and deliver 100% for one or two microcycles (one week of training), a reward should be included!
So, to be effective at goal setting in youth athletics, make sure you follow the plan:
----- Communicate with your coach and parents!
Your coach will assist you in determining which goals are realistic and your parents will help with enthusiasm and reward.
----- Set attainable long range goals!
Your long-range goals require your belief in them. If you establish a goal due to outside pressure or factors beyond your control, you have no 'ownership' over it and no personal belief in success.
----- Establish 'stair-step' intermediary goals and specific rewards!
Goal setting should be like climbing a set of stairs. After hitting each step a specific reward needs to be received. But, realize additional training will be necessary to get to the next step . . . give it appropriate time.
----- Develop 'process' goals as well as performance goals!
It is important to have a standard mark or time to shoot for, but let your coach assist you in developing the goals necessary to get you there. The process has to be rewarded as well as the performance as it is the building block of improvement.
----- Re-evaluate your goals along the way!
Use your coach to give an outside perspective and take a hard look at your goals at every intermediary step. Are they too easy? Are they out of reach and frustrating. Keep those goals attainable even if they are very small steps.
----- Surround yourself with positives!
Your parents, coach, and peers in athletics should be supportive of each goal you make and hit. Don't worry about those who may doubt you . . . you alone have the power to change your performance future!
Always remember the most important words in goal setting, athletics, and your life performance. . . . . . . . .
"Never put limits on how good you can be!!!"
and
"The only one who limits you is you!!!"
Goal setting can release the potential you have inside by giving you a plan of process and performance that is realistic and attainable. A goal set by a determined athlete becomes in itself just another stair step leading to the ultimate pinnacle of personal athletic achievement. You will release your 'limits' when you use goals and experience more fun in your field and track events!
Have fun . . . train hard . . .
Jeff Arbogast Bingham South Jordan, UT USA 8/19/00
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