Goals are important. Every athlete should have goals. At the end of last season, we asked our players to set goals for the following season, both individually and for the team. Some goals were realistic, others made no sense for where our team is currently at. One things that most young athletes don’t understand about the goals they set is that there is a direct correlation between the preparation and the result. When you set your goals, make sure you consider how much time and effort you are willing to sacrifice to achieve them. This is the foundation of goal setting. The higher your goal is, the more preparation will be needed and the more work will need to be put in. Goals need to be realistic in relation to your work ethic. If you want to be a 40% three-point shooter but don’t plan on getting shots up until October, you may need to rethink your goal. Or, better yet, rethink your process of achieving it.
The same is true for team goals. A young team may have a goal of going .500 during the year. If only three players are consistently putting work in the off-season, the chances of this happening may already be doomed.
If you want to set your goals high, make sure you are ready to attack them with the preparation necessary to get you to your highest level.
