Goal Setting Important To Accomplishing Tasks

By: Jeff Abell

I am the assistant coach for a local high school soccer team. As we enter into our spring training, each day I get more excited for the upcoming season. With that excitement also comes nervousness. I have to to constantly assess how I am doing as a coach and try to better my coaching skills on and off the field.

One thing that we work on as a team is setting goals, and mapping out how to achieve them. Although the team might have one goal for itself, individual players also bring their own hopes and dreams to the table. We try to create a plan where each person can feel accomplished at the end of the season, with both individual and team goals.

To start, I like to know what the head coach expects of me. This knowledge helps me plan how best to meet those expectations, and also prevents a conflict of leading the team in a direction the head coach doesn’t agree with. We also ask our senior boys on the team what their expectations are for the team as a whole and for us as coaches. Acknowledging these expectations keeps everyone on the same page and answers questions that the teammates and coaches may have for one another.

After these expectations are laid out, we move to discussing our goals and dreams for the season. Goals are items that can be completed with planning and practice. Dreams are things we hope can also be done, but the team will have to work really hard to make it happen. For example, one of our goals is that everyone on the team is able to see improvement in their skill level from the beginning of the season to the end of the season, while one of our dreams is to win the state title.

After we have laid out our goals and dreams, we start planning on how we can be achieve them. We try to figure out the best way to equip our players to solve problems, succeed and reach their fullest potential.

After all this, it’s go time. As players work to reach their goals, coaches should provide continued encouragement and constructive feedback. When a player succeeds, they should be congratulated on their accomplishment.

All great coaches are also leaders of their team. They help to guide and encourage. Many of the skills required of a coach are also helpful to me as a program coordinator at Youth Resources. I try to use these skills to push the students in my program to become better leaders and understand the importance of teamwork, problem solving and setting their own goals. I try and coach my students in a similar manner to my team, and support their ambitions and dreams.

If you are preparing for a large task or wanting to achieve a new goal, set a plan in action to help you achieve these goals. Looking for a coach? Find friends, family or colleagues who can help support you and hold you accountable as you reach for your goals.

Jeff Abell is the Teen Advisory Council Program Manager at Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana. Since 1987,