Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Goal SettingGoal Setting

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Reaching Your Goals is Like Reaching Your Goals is Like Following a Road mapFollowing a Road map

!! The Final Destination The Final Destination is your Long Term is your Long Term GoalGoal

!! The Route you take is The Route you take is your Season or your Season or Career PlanCareer Plan

!! The Stops along the The Stops along the way are your Short way are your Short Term GoalsTerm Goals

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Long Term GoalsLong Term Goals

!! What do you What do you ultimately want to ultimately want to accomplish?accomplish?

!! Clearly define your Clearly define your Long Term Goal.Long Term Goal.

!! Recognize your Recognize your Starting Point.Starting Point.

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

What is your Route?What is your Route?

!! Talk with your coach Talk with your coach about your Training about your Training Plan.Plan.

!! What detours are on What detours are on your route (vacations, your route (vacations, school events, etc.)?school events, etc.)?

!! What are your big and What are your big and small meets during small meets during the season?the season?

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Short Term GoalsShort Term Goals

!! Evaluate your Evaluate your progression by setting progression by setting smaller goals along smaller goals along the way.the way.

!! Long term goals Long term goals alone provide no alone provide no feedback or specific feedback or specific direction.direction.

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Process GoalsProcess Goals

!! Help athletes focus on the process of Help athletes focus on the process of performance as opposed to solely on performance as opposed to solely on performance outcome.performance outcome.

!! Positive goals that relate to athletic performance:Positive goals that relate to athletic performance:Training GoalsTraining GoalsTechnical GoalsTechnical GoalsPsychological GoalsPsychological GoalsNutritional GoalsNutritional GoalsLifestyle GoalsLifestyle Goals

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Training GoalsTraining Goals

!! Do your Performance Do your Performance Goals match up with Goals match up with what you are willing to what you are willing to do at practice?do at practice?

1. Attendance1. Attendance2. Intensity2. Intensity3. Focus3. Focus

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Technical GoalsTechnical Goals

!! Do you have to make Do you have to make technical changes to technical changes to accomplish your accomplish your Performance Goals?Performance Goals?

!! Does your coach Does your coach have suggestions or have suggestions or ideas regarding your ideas regarding your technique?technique?

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Psychological GoalsPsychological Goals!! Are you always Are you always

mentally prepared for mentally prepared for competition and competition and practice?practice?

!! Do you use positive Do you use positive or negative thoughts or negative thoughts to motivate yourself?to motivate yourself?

!! Can you visualize Can you visualize yourself being yourself being successful before you successful before you compete or practice?compete or practice?

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Nutritional GoalsNutritional Goals

!! Do your nutritional Do your nutritional habits help or hurt habits help or hurt your chances of your chances of achieving your achieving your Performance Goals?Performance Goals?

!! Do you have access Do you have access to good nutritional to good nutritional information? Who information? Who should you ask?should you ask?

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Lifestyle GoalsLifestyle Goals

!! Do the choices you Do the choices you make away from the make away from the pool help or hurt your pool help or hurt your chances of achieving chances of achieving your Performance your Performance Goals?Goals?

!! Are your friends and Are your friends and family supportive of family supportive of the goals you want to the goals you want to accomplish?accomplish?

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Why should you Set Goals?Why should you Set Goals?

!! Goal Setting provides direction and Goal Setting provides direction and Enhances Motivation.Enhances Motivation.

•• Remind you where you want to go and how you Remind you where you want to go and how you are going to get there.are going to get there.

•• Practices can be physically and mentally draining; Practices can be physically and mentally draining; goals reinforce why you are there and what you goals reinforce why you are there and what you are trying to accomplish at each training session.are trying to accomplish at each training session.

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Why should you Set Goals?Why should you Set Goals?

!! Goal Setting builds confidence and Goal Setting builds confidence and provides feedback.provides feedback.

•• Reaching your shortReaching your short--term goals builds confidence term goals builds confidence not only in your abilities but in the path you have not only in your abilities but in the path you have chosen towards your Long Term goals.chosen towards your Long Term goals.

•• ShortShort--term goals that are evaluated regularly term goals that are evaluated regularly provide you with feedback about your progression provide you with feedback about your progression toward your Longtoward your Long--term goals.term goals.

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Goal Setting TipsGoal Setting Tips

!! Be specific!Be specific!"" Broad goals do not offer much guidance.Broad goals do not offer much guidance.

!! Goals must be realistic and challenging.Goals must be realistic and challenging."" Goals that are too easy or too difficult will not provide many bGoals that are too easy or too difficult will not provide many benefits.enefits.

!! Evaluate your goals regularly.Evaluate your goals regularly."" Provides feedback and confidence because progress can be noted.Provides feedback and confidence because progress can be noted.

!! The goals must be yours.The goals must be yours."" They canThey can’’t be your coacht be your coach’’s or your parents or your parent’’s.s.

!! Be flexible.Be flexible."" Things change; good and bad.Things change; good and bad.

!! Be public.Be public."" Share your goals with family, friends and coaches.Share your goals with family, friends and coaches.

Dan McCarthy, Sport Dan McCarthy, Sport Performance ConsultantPerformance Consultant

Celebrate Your Success!Celebrate Your Success!