Do You Know How to Set Goals That Really Matter?

 

As a coach, you play a large role in your athletes’ lives, and helping them set realistic, meaningful goals as a team and as individuals is one of the most important parts of a successful season. While athletes should feel ownership over both individual and team goals, you can help them optimize those goals so that their well-being, rather than winning, is prioritized.

Here Are Some Simple Steps To Help Your Athletes Set Goals That Matter:

Understand How Athletes Are Feeling

As a coach, it’s easy to focus on goals that matter to you and your program. But before you start setting goals, think about what matters to your athletes. Take a moment to consider how they are feeling and what other pressures they may be dealing with. Pressures come at young athletes from all directions, including parents who want them to get that athletic scholarship, school administrators who are trying to improve school rankings and teammates who want to win. Amidst this pressure, make sure you’re initiating conversations about what the athlete wants and what matters to them.

Set Goals That Focus on Athlete Wellness

Athletic goals shouldn’t just revolve around national championships or state titles. While it can be fun to have some goals that are based on specific outcomes, like making it to the championships, it’s equally important to have goals that are focused on process, development, and wellness. For example, you can help them set process goals for practices, set a team goal of getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night, and create goals around creating an inclusive and healthy team culture.

Set Goals For The Team as a Team

As the coach, you likely have certain hopes for the season, and it’s tempting to show up to the first practice of the season proposing those goals for the team. But instead of presenting your list of goals, try a goal-setting exercise with athletes. By allowing your athletes to set the goals for the team this season, you’re giving them ownership and making them more emotionally connected to the outcomes. This approach works in the team's favor: The Association for Applied Sports Psychology points out that when athletes set their own goals, they’re more likely to achieve them.