Setting goals

• goals can:

  • give motivation
  • monitor progress
  • provide focus
  • show success
• A performance goal helps the athlete to focus on an aspect of performance that they are in total control of.

  e.g. A performance goal might be a 200 m sprinter trying to beat their personal best or a hockey midfielder trying to score their highest level in the multi-stage fitness test.

  Performance goals allow the athlete to focus in on details of the performance, not just winning and losing or comparison to others.
• Outcome goals

  • The focus here is on the end result. The goals are usually compared against other competitors.
  • The standard of the performance does not matter because the aim is purely focused on the outcome.
  • For example, a footballer may just want to win the match without caring about how he performs individually.
• SMART targets


  • specific
  • measurable
  • accepted
  • realistic
  • time bound
• Negatives of outcome goals


  • focus solely on winning so they might forget tactics and technique leading to a poorer performance
  • The opposition might play better which is something the performer can't control
  • Pressure means they might make silly mistakes