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Sports Psychology

Sports is by far one of the fastest growing past times in the United States (Rainer
1987). Even if people don't take it to the professional level, sporting events are happening
in our backyards, and at all of our local schools around the country. With the growing
popularity and the increasing competitiveness of the sports, it will take more than just a
physical advantage to compete at the highest level. This is where the psychology of sports
comes into play.
Goal setting is a hugely powerful technique that can yield strong returns in all areas
of an athlete's life. At its simplest level the process of setting goals and targets allows
people to choose where they want to go in life. By knowing what a person wants to
achieve, they know what they have to concentrate on, and what is merely a distraction.
Goal setting gives long-term vision, and short-term motivation. By setting goals the
athlete can achieve more, improve performance, improve the quality of the training,
increase the motivation to achieve, increase pride and satisfaction in their performance,
and improve their self-confidence (Bull, 1983).Research (Bull, 1983) has shown that
people who use goal-setting effectively suffer less from stress and anxiety, concentrate
better, show more self-confidence, perform better, and are happier with their performance.
The way in which an athlete sets his goals strongly affects their effectiveness. Before
setting goals, the athlete should have set the background of goal setting by understanding
their commitment to sports, understanding the level they want to reach within the sport,
knowing the skills that will have to be acquired and the levels of performance that will be
needed, and know where this will fit into their overall life goals. The following broad
guidelines apply to setting effective goals. Positive statements, be precise, set priorities,
write goals down to avoid confusion and give them more force, and keep operational
goals small...