| You love soccer. You want to become better at it. | | | | measure something is by time or repetitions. |
| Perhaps you want to make the varsity squad. Or | | | | So let's add time to our goal. Notice how it also |
| maybe you just want to get better. Awesome. | | | | makes it more specific. "I will improve my mile time |
| Improving in soccer or anything for that matter | | | | from 7:30 to 6:30". This is much better. It is very |
| should not be left up to luck or natural talent. | | | | specific and you can tell if you've achieved it. |
| Learning how to set SMART goals will carry over to | | | | Actionable - Many soccer players have goals of being |
| every aspect of your life. Once you learn the skills of | | | | the best on the team or getting a soccer scholarship. |
| setting SMART goals for soccer you can apply them | | | | The problem is there isn't a lot that you can do to |
| to anything. | | | | take action on this. You need to be able to achieve |
| SMART stands for: | | | | the goal 100% by your own actions. |
| Specific | | | | Is our goal of running the mile in 6:30 actionable? Yes, |
| Measurable | | | | it is. It can be better though. We could state how we |
| Actionable | | | | are going to accomplish this goal. For instance: |
| Realistic | | | | "I will improve my mile time from 7:30 to 6:30 by |
| Timely | | | | running ten 100 yard sprints every day that we don't |
| Let's look at them in detail. | | | | have practice". |
| Specific - means something small. Saying "I want to | | | | Realistic - How is this new goal? Is that something |
| get better", is not specific. How will you get better? | | | | you can do? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Only you can |
| Will it be in soccer conditioning, or ball control skills. Will | | | | decide if it's realistic for you. You have to analyze |
| it be by becoming a starter? As you can see, it's not | | | | where you're at and where you want to go. You |
| specific. | | | | have to think about how bad you want the goal...and |
| Saying, "I will get faster" is better, but still not | | | | how much time and effort you're willing to put into |
| specific enough. How will you get faster? Will it be in | | | | achieving it. |
| the mile, or in the 100 yard dash? | | | | Timely - The last technique of SMART goals is to put |
| So, for an example, let's pick the mile. The mile is a | | | | a time limit on it. Leaving it open ended gives you |
| good distance to improve. It takes speed and | | | | limited incentive to work for it. Ever notice how you |
| endurance, two key components of soccer fitness. | | | | study harder just before a test? Or how you clean |
| Let's make your goal "I will get faster in the mile". | | | | up faster knowing that Mom is going to be home in |
| Measurable - This means that you can measure it. | | | | an hour. It's the same thing here. So let's try this... |
| Many soccer skills are hard to measure. How can you | | | | "Within two months, I will improve my mile time from |
| measure if your kick has improved? It's possible, but | | | | 7:30 to 6:30 by running ten 100 yard sprints every |
| not easy. But our goal of the mile time is measurable. | | | | day that we don't have practice." |
| We can time a mile, train for it and then see how | | | | How does that sound to you? Is it something you |
| much we've improved. The two best ways to | | | | could do? |