“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success”—- Stephen A. Brennan

Goal setting is one of many strategies that can help athletes achieve peak performances. The process of setting goals not only influences athletes’ performances, but it’s linked to positive changes in a variety of psychological states, such as football confidence and motivation. Additionally, goal setting is a tool that can be beneficial in all areas of life.

The importance of goal setting for athletes is undeniable.

Goals provide direction – Goals are what give you purpose. When you set yourself a goal you give your football mind something to aim for.

Goals help you stay focused – Our world is full of distractions! Setting a goal gives you a priority. When you are making choices about how to spend our time you now know what is important.

Goals build momentum – Goals push you to achieve. Setting a goal provides the foundation for your drive. Just setting yourselves a goal brings you one step closer to achievement; it creates a specific finish line to work toward.

To be effective, a systematic goal-setting approach must be designed and carried out.

Set specific goals in terms that can be measured – Specific goals are more effective in improving performance than are general “do your best” goals or no goals at all. An effective goal clearly indicates what a person needs to do to accomplish it. This means that you must be able to measure the performance that relates to the specific goal.

Set short-term as well as long-range goals – Breaking down any long-term goals into smaller more attainable goals helps to promote achievement and success. Short-term goals are important because they allow athletes to see immediate improvements in performance and thereby enhance motivation. Without short-term goals, athletes can lose sight of their long-term objectives, and the sub-goals needed to attain them.

Identify specific goal achievement strategies – One of the main reasons why goals are not accomplished is that athletes fail to map-out and commit themselves to goal achievement strategies. For example, if a football player wants to improve his/her speed by 5 percent, a productive achievement strategy could include running additional 10 sprints after practice each day.

Once (a) specific goals have been set, (b) achievement strategies have been decided upon, and (c) target dates for goal attainment have been established, these should be written down so you can remember them frequently. You can talk with your coaches and parents about your goals to keep you focused on the activity and committed to it.

Research on sports psychology for football indicates that performance feedback is absolutely necessary if goals are to enhance performance. Therefore you must receive feedback about how your present performance is related to both short- and long-range goals. Without such feedback, you cannot track your progress toward improving your mental game in football and may be unable to see improvement that is actually occurring.

No matter where you want to find success, you must set goals and you must fully commit. Remember, success is a choice, but that choice will involve sacrifice.

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