GOAL SETTING

To be a success in sports or in life a person must establish goals as it is impossible to find success on a journey without knowing where you are heading on the path. The first step in establishing a goal is to think about what you hope to accomplish and then begin to plan the steps that are needed to accomplish it. An athlete should break down their goals into short-term and long-term and then begin to establish a plan to accomplish both.

Short Term Goals:
These are goals that you hope to accomplish in a 2-4 week period of time, so you must begin to focus in practice to hit benchmarks each day to prepare you for these goals. A person wanting to run under 60 seconds in the quarter may try to achieve running 200 meters in less than 30 seconds or a thrower who wants to throw a foot farther by the end of the season may try to improve 3 inches in this period of time.

Long Term Goals:
This type of goal usually takes a year or longer to obtain and it includes a series of short term goals along the way. An athlete hoping to compete at the state meet must take many steps along the way before achieving this goal. This person may need to evaluate all aspects of their life such as nutrition, amount of rest, training and mental preparation before setting this type of goal and this person should achieve success at the local level before concerning themselves with the state level. To be a success it is important to look at being great in this sport as a journey and that you must take small steps along the way before coming to the end of the journey.