Setting Goals for Peak Performance

Most athletes have been told at one point or another that they should be setting goals. First let’s consider why goal setting is worth the time and effort. The benefits of Goal setting are plentiful, and include:

• -Improved performance
• -Alleviation of anxiety
• -Improved confidence
• -Increased motivation
• -Increased commitment

A goal is an observable and measurable objective that an athlete has committed to achieving. There are two types of goals that athletes often set:

            Outcome Goals: Focus on the result of a contest. Most people tend to set outcome goals, such as to win a match or to make it to the MAC conference tournament.

            Performance Goals: Focus on improvements from prior performances. These goals focus on the skills needed to achieve your outcome goals. For example, a goal to increase your free throw percentage will also increase the team’s chances of winning.

To get the most benefit out of your goal setting, use the following guidelines when setting performance goals; set S.M.A.R.T. goals:

S – Specific: Set goals that are precise. For example, a specific goal for a swimmer would be to shave off .5 seconds from their 200m butterfly by Dec. 1st.

M – Measurable: The goal must be able to be measured. For example, a baseball player may want to set a goal of squatting 315 lbs. by the time spring training begins. Avoid subjective goals such as “try harder” that cannot be measured.

A – Action-Oriented: Set goals that direct your attention to specific actions that can be done. For example, a goal for a hockey player to increase percentage of shots on goal will direct the effort specifically to shooting.

R – Realistic: Set challenging goals that you believe you can achieve. Your goals should push you, not frustrate you.

T – Timed: Give yourself a deadline that will motivate you. By having a specific deadline in mind, you will have a finish line to work towards, and will remain more focused on your goal.

Goal setting is a great tool to add to your mental skills toolbox. Now get out there and start setting some SMART goals!

For more information, see:

Gould, D. (2014) Goal setting for peak performance.  In J. Williams & V. Krane (Eds.) Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance. (7^th ed.) (pp. 188-206). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Scott Graupensperger

Bowling Green State University

Peak Performance in Sport

We often hear athletes talking about playing “in the zone” or being on autopilot during an athletic performance. Many athletes don’t know this, but the “in the zone” performance is what sport psychologists call being in flow. Flow is an effortless, automatic performance where everything goes perfectly and you play your best.

When athletes have a flow performance it helps to increase their motivation in sport. When we play well, we want to continue to achieve that level of performance again. Flow also increases your enjoyment in your sports.

Flow Characteristics

-Challenge that develops skill

The activity has to be challenging enough that your skill set is challenged. Playing an easier opponent won’t increase the chance for flow, playing an evenly matched opponent will increase the likelihood of getting in flow.

-Clear Goals

When in flow, athletes have a strong focus of what they are trying to accomplish. For example, a basketball player might stay focused on staying low on defense or making the extra pass. A strong focus on how to accomplish goals keeps attention where it should be during a performance.

-Become one with the performance

Athletes in flow are totally submerged in the activity. When they step on the field or court, “park” or set aside non-sport thoughts and concerns. Let the activity become what you are aware of and put everything you have into the performance.

-Total concentration

            In flow, one is present in the here and now and clueless to distractions.

-Loss of ego and self-consciousness

Athletes’ ego is detached from performance during flow. They do not judge themselves or criticize themselves after mistakes. They bounce back easily from an error.

How can an athlete maximize flow?

1.     Develop action oriented goals.

2.     Maintain proper focus.

3.     Be in the here and now.

4.     Forget time (focus on each play individually).

5.     Understand your arousal needs for performance (relaxed vs. pumped up)

6.     Train for flow (practice skills so that flow can occur more frequently).

As an athlete you can practice a wealth of mental skills to increase your chances of getting into a flow performance more frequently. Flow cannot be controlled or forced. An athlete cannot just wake up and say, “I am going to play in flow today.” If you want to increase flow performances, then you have to train for flow.

Throughout this blog we will discuss many mental skills that can help to increase an athletes chances of getting into flow. The more an athlete practices these skills, the more mentally prepared for performance that athlete will become. Each aspect of mental skills training that will be posted on this blog can help to increase the chance for flow. Remember, in order to increase flow you have to train for flow. Practice!

If you are interested in reading more about flow check out this book!

Jackson, S., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in sport: The keys to optimal

            performance experiences and performances. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Campbell Query

Bowling Green State University

What is Sport Psychology?

“Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable  will.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Imagine this: It’s the National Football Conference Championship game and your team is down by 12 points with three minutes left to play in regulation. You have already thrown FOUR interceptions and frankly, it hasn’t been your day. A comeback isn’t likely a reality… unless you have a determined quarterback with the resilience and mental toughness of no other. As Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks takes in the remaining moments, he refers to his mental training: 

“I’d turn back toward the huddle, close my eyes and think of a table in an empty room. On that table was a big red RESET button, just like in the movies. I’d imagine pressing the button. Boom. On to the next one. What’s the situation now? How can I make a play?”¹

Time and time again you may hear athletes, professional and collegiate, mention phrases like in the zone; calm, cool, and collected; or unshakeable in a time of unbearable pressure. What this all boils down to is mental toughness or the ability to be consistently strong in athletic performance despite pressure and adversity. Even though this may just be one small aspect of the mental game athletes play within the larger, physical game, mental toughness along with all other sport psychology mental skills (such as imagery, relaxation, and goal setting) necessitates important attention. For even world class and Olympic athletes like Lindsey Vonn, Michael Jordan, and Russell Wilson to recognize this and use sport psychology skills, it must mean something.

Sport psychology involves the study of motivation, leadership, confidence, and psychological well-being surrounding sport, and its application provides opportunities to enhance performance through interventions and mental skills training.  The goal of sport psychology, and in essence this blog, is to help athletes consistently create an ideal mental state that enables you to perform at your best². Within this blog, we will offer tips, exercises, and guidelines that may empower athletes, performers, and students to attack all situations with a proper mental climate to stay focused, achieve your peak performance, maintain confidence, and have a mental toughness that is unshakeable.

Matthew Jones – Bowling Green State University

¹ http://www.theplayerstribune.com/one-mission/

² Williams, J.M., & Krane, V. (2015). Sport psychology: Past, present, future. In J.M. Williams & V. Krane (Eds.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth for peak performance (7^th ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield.