Purposes of Goals

Purposes of Goals

Goals give swimmers a reason to do the program. They represent something meaningful to a swimmer that he/she wants to accomplish.

• Goals give focus- Most kids’ minds are unfocused and highly scattered. Goals get their attention and keep it focused on a target, giving them something to think about and a purpose for training.
• Goals make decision easier- Goals supply higher principles upon which to base thousands of decisions swimmers make everyday about what to eat, how to use their limited time, how to attack certain sets in practices and so on. Thus goals make life simpler. Swimmers don’t have to stress about little things because those decisions are already made by the direction they are heading in.
• Goals generate self-respect and respect for others-We become worthy by striving after worthy goals. We value and respect ourselves much more when we know we are attempting something great, working hard and conscientiously, rather than merely skating by and doing the bare minimum. We value our teammates more when we know they are attempting something great, working hard and conscientiously. The atmosphere created when everyone in the pool is aiming high is one of support, respect, and achievement. High goals are contagious.
• Goals provide a way to evaluate what swimmers have done-If swimmers never knew their times or could never compare their results with competitors; they would never know they fell short and needed to work harder or that they did well and should be pleased with their performance. They would never be able to see the baby steps of accomplishment that make for long-term success. They would be shooting their arrows into darkness, never knowing whether or not the arrows hit the target.
• Goals help swimmers maintain a good attitude-Too many swimmers see training as a chore, and they see meets, especially championships meets, as pressure-filled, frightening experiences. Goals can help swimmers overcome this problem by rearranging their thinking about training. Goals make swimming a game. They make fast swimming and high achievement challenging and energizing, not frightening and anxiety ridden. Continual goal setting and goal; reaching builds confidence as swimmers see themselves getting better in a hundreds ways every day. Occasionally falling short and trying again builds resilience and determination and it lets kids see that failure is temporary, more irritating that overwhelming.
• Goals liberate- Most swimmers have no idea how fast they really are because they only scratch the surface of their potential. When goals are continually being set and accomplished, the bar of self-expectation keeps getting raised-kids starts to see just how fast they can become. Suddenly the seemingly overwhelming accomplishments such as making nationals or making the Olympic team get put into perspective and seem possible.

Michael Brooks