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The No. 1 Motivator

By Minnesota Hockey, 04/07/15, 12:45PM CDT

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Tips for setting SMART goals for this offseason

Our children should be encouraged to set goals – big and small, short and long term.

“It’s the No. 1 motivator for people, no matter the age,” said Eric Eisendrath, lead trainer for Positive Coaching Alliance, a nonprofit organization aimed at improving the youth sports experience.

But it’s important to set goals smartly. Sometimes that requires a little help and guidance from parents and coaches.

“I remember one kid’s goal in basketball was to dunk,” said Eisendrath. “Is it measurable? Yes. Relevant? Well, it’s a skill that’s relevant to the sport of basketball. Is it attainable? No. It’s not going to happen. The kid is 4-foot-2.

“Remember that the goals have to fit the criteria.”

The criteria Eisendrath is referring to stems from the moniker SMART Goals:

Specific: Is the goal tangible and specific? Will I know if I’ve done it?
Measurable: Is the goal easily measured?
Attainable: With hard work, is the goal in the realm of possibility?
Relevant: Is the goal relevant to where I am right now?
Timely: Is there a definitive completion date?

Here’s an example illustrated through the SMART Goals Pyramid:

Sample SMART Goal (Remember to follow the SMART criteria)

Outcome: Make the A team next year.

Two goals that lead to my SMART goal: 1. Improve my skating. 2. Improve my passing.

Two goals that lead to my sub-goals: 1. I want to improve my quickness and agility. 2. I want to learn how to saucer pass and improve passing/receiving on my backhand.

Two things I can do every day/week to achieve my sub-goals: 1. Run 15 40-yard sprints and do four sets of box jumps three times each week; three sets of Russian boxes and three sets of ladders each week. 2. Practice passing 100 times each day over a barrier in the driveway; pass a ball or roller-hockey puck against a wall while aiming at an exact target 100 times each day, and, whenever you do have ice time, make a point to send and receive passes on your backhand.

Focus on Effort

Too often people focus on outcomes rather than effort and performance.

“You can control effort and performance, but you can’t control outcomes as much,” said Eisendrath.

It’s the performance- and effort-based goals that help achieve the outcome; the drills, practice and discipline in sub goals that allow you to succeed. Effort and performance goals are the meat and potatoes.

“You can’t just power skate every day this summer and expect to be better,” said Eisendrath. “If you’re not falling down, if you’re not pushing yourself to the max, if you’re not pushing your boundaries, then you’re not putting in enough effort.”

Parents and coaches should work with the child to help set these goals, and to focus on the effort, not so much the outcome.

Rewards

Be careful about offering rewards to your child for accomplishing goals. Don’t make them too enticing. Eisendrath recalled a time when a lacrosse player was hogging the ball, scoring boat loads of goals and refusing to pass to teammates. When the coach asked, “What’s going on here? Why aren’t you passing?” The kid said that his parents would buy him a new lacrosse head if he scored 20 goals.

“And that’s when you just shake your head,” said Eisendrath. “So the coach said, ‘Hey, look, I won’t tell your parents you told me that, but if you get 20 assists, we’ll get you the new lacrosse head anyway.’

“When it comes down to it, you hope accomplishing your goals is rewarding in itself.”

Keep Offseason Goals in Perspective

Overuse injuries are up 75 percent the last decade. Burnout is up considerably among young athletes. Setting hockey goals for the offseason is encouraged, but be sure to include some non-hockey goals – baseball, general athleticism, academic, social, etc.

It shouldn’t be all hockey all the time. Remember, they are just kids. Early specialization has proven to be detrimental to long-term development and enjoyment.

Your kid won’t fall behind if they don’t skate all summer. They may be a little behind when the season starts, but it won’t take long before they catch up and even surpass the kids who have been playing hockey (or any sport for that matter) year-round.

And finally, PCA has three tips for young athletes setting goals, whatever they may be:

  1. Write it! Put it down on paper.
  2. Tell it! Make teammates aware of the goal.
  3. Chase it! Be relentless.

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