Goal Setting Essay, Research Paper

Psychological training is an important aspect of any training program in sports. Goal setting is one particular aspect of a psychological skills training program. Often people brush this aside and do not pay the attention to it that is necessary. The first step in goal setting is to set short term goals that gradually build on each other. More often than not people set goals that are out of their reach and end up quitting in their attempt to reach these goals. By setting short term goals you will feel energized to attain your long term goals once you have accomplish your short term goals. Once you have written down your short term goals, analyze them and ask yourself what resourses are available to you. For instance, if you want to score more goals this season in hockey, you will have to practice more often, is this possible? this is another mistake that people make when setting goals, not know their resourses. If I can’t make an extra practice or two to get more shots on the goalie then it is going to be difficult to attain my goal. Another very important part of goal setting is to set outcome goals, and not so much performance goals, especially if you are playing on a team. Trying your best during a game or practice and feeling confident that you are giving you all will usually transform itself into a positive outcome. When athletes focus there attention on what they are doing to the point that their play is effected is an example of focussing on performance goals. The best way to look at goal setting is to picture a stair case and each step is a goal that you want to attain.