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Goals Realistic, yet challenging goals for each athlete are important to the motivation of the athlete both at training and during competition. Goals establish and drive the action of both training and competition plans. Sport confidence in athletes helps to make participation fun and is critical to the athlete's motivation. Please see the Principles of Coaching section for additional information and exercises on goal setting.   Goal Setting Setting goals is a joint effort between the athlete and coach. Following are the main features of goal setting. Structured into short-term, intermediate and long-term Stepping stones to success Must be accepted by the athlete Vary in difficulty — easily attainable to challenging Must be measurable Long Term Goal The athlete will acquire basic football skills, appropriate social behavior and functional knowledge of the rules necessary to participate successfully in football competitions.   Benefits Increases athlete's level of physical fitness Teaches self-discipline Teaches the athlete sports skills that are essential to a variety of other activities Provides the athlete with a means for self-expression and social interaction   Assessing Goals Checklist Write a goal statement. Does the goal sufficiently meet the athlete's needs? Is the goal positively stated? If not, rewrite it. Is the goal under the athlete's control and does it focus on his/her goals and no one else's? Is the goal a goal and not a result? Is the goal important enough to the athlete that he/she will want to work toward achieving it? Have the time and energy to do it? How will this goal make the athlete's life different? What barriers might the athlete encounter in working toward this goal? What does the athlete need to learn how to do? What risks does the athlete need to take?

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