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AFM Magazine


Coach to Coach: The Mental Fundamentals: Goal Setting

by: Tim Mitchell
Assistant Coach, Fossil Ridge High School (CO) and Sports Psychology Consultant
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Building Perspective

    The first game is just around the corner, so we call a team meeting to assess our direction for the season and set some goals. When I ask the kids what their goals are for the season they seem to reply with the same answer every year, “win league, win state and beat our rivals.” Winning seems to be the theme for every goal. Even the coaches I’ve worked with base all of their goals around winning. It reminds me of that famous Lombardi quote “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”.
    Well, in pro football winning is everything and let’s not forget what a master tactician Lombardi was. Lombardi also had some amazing quotes about effort and desire. I know it hurts to lose and I’m not suggesting we should embrace losing or be satisfied with it. What I am suggesting is that winning is not the sole indicator of a successful high school or college football team. Winning is not even a reliable indicator of success. Winning is desirable; however, it is not the ultimate destination.
    Think of it this way. You are the captain of a ship that is going to set sail across the Pacific Ocean. Your crew is a team of young men that you have prepared for the journey. Getting to your destination is the ultimate goal, but the team will never make it without the proper tools and training. If the crew sleeps all day or shirks their responsibilities, the mission will surely be lost. As the captain, you also know that the ocean has the ultimate power. It could swallow your ship at any moment. It can offer rough winds, turbulent seas and starless nights. So what can you control? You map your course, you make sure the ship has all of the necessary equipment, you stay abreast of possible storms and you ensure the crew is trained.
    But despite all of your efforts, the ocean rages against you and in the midst of danger you rally your crew to focus. In that moment, are your thinking about the destination? You bark out step-by step-instructions as the crew dedicates all of their effort and attention into executing your plan. They listen to your every command, executing what they have been trained to do. You make it through this storm and realize that the destination is still possible so you refocus and prepare for the next obstacle. So I ask you, captain, what is your destination? Is it the state title or is it the development of young men?

Two Types of Athletes

    There are two different types of athletes - task-driven and ego-driven. Task-driven athletes are mostly concerned with improvement through the process of refining a skill. They view their ability as something that can get better through hard work and repetition. Ego-driven athletes view their talent level as fixed; therefore, they must be validated by besting the opponent. Ego-driven athletes rely on their natural ability to the extent that effort is often neglected. Their definition of success is based upon being more talented than the opponent. On the other hand, a task-driven athlete is more focused on what has to be done to get better. Both types of athletes have an equal desire to win. The optimal athlete actually needs both task and ego drive.
    We all have egos. However, when it comes to setting goals, we need to be task-driven. Coach John Wooden said his dad used to tell him and his brother, “Don’t ever think you are better than somebody else”. The wisdom here is keeping your focus on the task of self-improvement through maximum effort as opposed to being more talented than the opposition. That is where goal-setting must come from. What can I do to get better? Here are three questions your athletes can consider to help them set powerful goals.
 
1.  What do I control? (Focus on what you can do).

2.  What am I going to do today? (Practice goals).

3.  How will I prove my improvements?
(Accountability).
 
    Now comes the challenging part – getting the kids to actually come up with their own goals and writing them down. First, let me explain the different types of goals. Outcome goals are things like “winning” or beating another team or “playing 14 games”. Performance goals are things like “running for three touchdowns” or “making 12 tackles in a game”. Process goals are things like “studying the playbook for 30 minutes every Monday” or “spending 15 minutes after practice every Wednesday with my position coach”.
    The main difference is specificity. Process goals are the most powerful types of goals because they are specific and promote daily improvements. Mentally tough athletes focus their attention on setting and accomplishing their daily process goals. Performance goals are also very important for game time. Athletes know that great performances lead to favorable outcomes so putting their mind on game performance is the second best thing. I’m going to give you two ideas for setting goals. The first idea is for process goals and the second is for performance goals.

Application Idea #1: Process Goal Setting Night

    Choose the best night, preferably Thursday team meal night. Pass out 3 x 5 cards and have the players write down two process goals for a week of practice and one game goal. Then have the players exchange their goal cards with a teammate (not their closest friends). This is a great opportunity for the coach to show he is serious about everyone setting and accomplishing their goals, especially the non-starters. It could be time- consuming, but the results will change your team forever.
    Most of your players probably learned about SMART goals in elementary school. Keep the following rules in mind for setting process goals.

1. Be SPECIFIC.

2.  The goal must be MEASURABLE or verifiable.
It must be something they are capable of
doing. That is, ATTAINABLE.

3.  Be REALISTIC. The QB setting a goal to make tackles would be unrealistic.

4.  TIME DRIVEN. When will it be accomplished?
 
Application Idea #2: Coaches’ Performance Challenge Board

    Create a bulletin board in your team room or locker room. Have all of your assistant coaches write down a game goal on a 3 x 5 card for Friday night. Goals like one fumble recovery, one interception, a kick return for a TD, etc. Think of all the things you believe your team can achieve during the game. Create daily success by being realistic. Pin the cards on the board.
    The player can go up to the board and take a challenge card, sign it and give it back to the coach that wrote it. If the player is successful, reward him with lunch at a favorite place or whatever you feel appropriate. Setting process goals will condition the mind of your players and put the right perspective on success. Achieving process and performance goals will lead your team to the outcome you want. Rally the crew, brace the storms and enjoy the journey. s

About the Author: Tim Mitchell is a sports psychology consultant and a former U.S. Navy deep sea diver. He has been coaching both youth and high school football for over 20 years. Mitchell is currently an assistant coach at Fossil Ridge High School in Ft. Collins (CO). He has consulted with many football teams and athletes and can be reached at coachtimmitchell@gmail.com.






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