Goal Setting for Peak Performance “Without goals you are like a ship without a rudder – heading...

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Goal Setting for Peak Performance

“Without goals you are like a ship without a rudder – heading in no particular direction.”

Roy Williams, basketball coach

University of North Carolina

Chapter 11

Daniel Gould


• One of the most used techniques in applied sport psychology

• Influences the performance of athletes of varied age and ability levels• Makes positive changes in psychological states like

anxiety, confidence, and motivation• For goal-setting to be effective, coaches and sport

psychologists must its process and the factors that affect it

Introduction to Goal-Setting


Definition of a Goal

• Goal = an “objective or aim of action” that attains “a specific standard of proficiency on a task, usually within a specified time limit”

• Goal’s focus is on achieving some standard• There are different kinds of goals

Locke and Latham


Types of Goals

• Outcome goals – standards of performance that focus on the results of a contest between opponents or teams

• Performance goals – focus on improvements relative to one’s own performance

• Process goals –specify the procedures the athlete must engage in during performance in order to perform well

Types of Goals (cont.)

• Team goals – Rather than aimed at individuals, these goals set group goals to influence performance• Some suggest that group goals have more

powerful effects than individual goals

Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written

consent of McGraw-Hill Education.


Psychological Research on Goal-Setting• Shows that goal setting consistently facilitates

performance• 90% of the studies showed positive-partially

positive effects• Also a successful technique for improving performance

and changing behaviors• BUT these effects moderated by performance

feedback• Goal-setting is most effective when customized to

particular settings and athletes


Athletes’ and Coaches’ Uses of Goal-Setting

• More effective goal-setters use all types of goals and productive goal-setting strategies

• To improve these coaches and athletes should focus on:

• Process-oriented performance goals• The relationship between long- and short-term goals• Skill and fitness goals• Implementing goals in practice and competition


But WHY does goal-setting

influence performance?


Mechanistic Theory• Locke and Latham proposed that goals influence

performance in 4 ways:1. Direct attention to important task elements2. Help to mobilize effort3. Increase effort immediately AND help prolong

effort/increase persistence4. Goal-setters develop and employ new learning

strategies• Factors (importance, self-efficacy, feedback, and task

complexity) impact the goal-performance relationship


Cognitive Theory

• Proposed by Burton and looks specifically goal-setting in athletic environments

• Found that athletes’ goals are linked to their levels of anxiety, motivation, and confidence


Cognitive Theory (cont.)

An athlete’s goal motivational orientation interacts with perceived ability to produce one of three goal styles

– Performance orientation: success defined by self-improvement and has high perceived ability

– Success orientation: success defined by social comparison and winning and has high perceived ability

– Failure orientation: success defined by social comparison and winning but has low perceived ability


Life Skills Goal-Setting Programs

• Focus is on identifying, learning life skills (like goal-setting), and then transferring the valuable life skills learned in sport environments to general life situations:

• Identify a positive life goal• Focus on that goal’s process • Use of a general problem-solving model• Identify health-comprising behavior• Identify health-promoting behavior• Underline importance of good social support• Find ways to transfer skills from one life situation to

another


Goal-Setting Guidelines

• Set goals in measurable and behavioral terms (explicit, specific, and numerical)

• Set moderately difficult, but realistic goals• Set short-range AND long-range goals• Set process, performance, and outcome goals• Set goals for practice and competition• Positive vs. negative goals

Goal Setting Guidelines (cont.)

• Set target dates for attaining goals• Identify goal-achievement strategies• Write goals down• Provide feedback on goal achievement• Provide support for goals

• Coach, Teammates, Family• Set group goals

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McGraw-Hill Education.


Goal-Setting System for Coaches

• Planning phase• Identify individual and team goals• Identify strategies to achieve goals

• Meeting phase• Educate athletes• Athletes should be involved• Record goals• Evaluate progress

Goal Setting System (cont.)

• Follow-up/Evaluation phase• Schedule meetings throughout season• Discussion among subgroups• Provide feedback



Common Problems• Too many goals too soon• Failing to recognize individual differences• Setting goals that are too general• Failing to modify unrealistic goals• Failing to set process and performance goals• Failing to understand the time-commitment

required in goal-setting• Setting only technique-related goals• Failing to create a supportive atmosphere

Goal Setting for Peak Performance “Without goals you are like a ship without a rudder – heading...

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