New Year, New Goals

Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2011, and I think it's a good one.

Many of you who read my blog regularly know I have a junior triathlon team I coach and run, called TriJuniors, based in San Diego. This weekend the team will do its first race of 2011, a duathlon put on by the Triathlon Club of San Diego. After this race, we will have a meeting with all the athletes and coaches, and begin to set our goals individually, and as a team, for 2011.

I created a worksheet which will guide the athletes, (who are 13-19 years old), thru the process. This is a process I do with all my athletes, but here I've simplified it for teenagers, and thought they might be of benefit to athletes of all ages. These questions are focused around the team's race schedule, so base your's around your A-priority race.

1. What are my goals for 2011? (Include 3 goals, one must be a performance at USAT Junior Nationals, and all should be measurable!) [Measurable means not ambiguous, such as a numerical value, i.e. split, place, overall time, qualification, etc.]

2. If nothing stopped me, and I had the greatest day ever, (a DREAM performance), what would I be capable of doing at Nationals in August?

3. What is stopping me from achieving the difference between my goals for 2011 and my DREAM/greatest day ever?

4. If these obstacles are stopping me, what can I do to overcome them in time to achieve my DREAM performance at Nationals?

5. What are my test workout goals for 2011?

So many athletes will undermine their own performances subliminally, and teenagers are no different. These questions help them to verbalize their goals, and verbalize the possibilities without inhibition.

Once they have stated these, they are forced to verbalize why there is a difference between what they truly believe they can do, and what goals they are shooting for. They realize they have more control over the results and performance than they previous realized, and can begin to recognize their weaknesses and make them a focus and priority to improve.

In the end, they realize the ownership they have, and they are hopefully even more excited about the possibilities.

Use these questions to determine your own goals, and what is truly stopping you. You might be surprised to learn the only thing stopping you, is you.

Coach Vance