Why performers set goals

Overview

Goals and how goal setting raises motivation, reduces anxiety, builds confidence, directs attention and helps a coach monitor progress, the factors in setting goals, shared and challenging goals, and returning from injury.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is a goal in sport?

   Model answer

   A goal is a target that a performer aims to achieve. Goals give training and competition a clear purpose.

2. 2

   How does goal setting increase motivation?

   Model answer

   A clear target gives the performer something to work towards. Each goal achieved brings satisfaction and drives further effort.

3. 3

   How does goal setting reduce anxiety?

   Model answer

   Goals focus attention on controllable targets rather than the result. Realistic goals lower the fear of failure.

4. 4

   How does goal setting build confidence?

   Model answer

   Each goal achieved is a success that raises self-belief. Confidence grows as goals are met.

5. 5

   How does goal setting help a coach monitor progress?

   Model answer

   Goals give a benchmark against which improvement can be measured. The coach can see whether training is working.

6. 6

   How does goal setting direct attention?

   Model answer

   A goal focuses the performer on the parts of performance that matter most. Irrelevant distractions are ignored.

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