Goal Setting for Soccer Players

Whether you’ve just started your competitive soccer journey or are years down the road it is important to have goals.

Goal setting is important as an athlete, as it provides direction and focus for your development plan and can help to inform key decisions along the way.  When you set specific, measurable, and achievable goals, it can give you a clear target to work towards and a sense of purpose for your efforts. Additionally, goalsetting can help you stay motivated and committed to the sport, even when faced with the inevitable challenges and setbacks along the way.

While your soccer aspirations will be unique to you, there are tried and true processes for how to set goals effectively to help you realize your dreams.

In today’s post we’ll run through a few tips for how, as a competitive soccer player, you can effectively set goals.

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Be Specific:

Set specific, measurable, and realistic goals that you can work towards. Instead of setting a general goal like "I want to be a better player," set a specific goal like "I want to improve my passing accuracy to 85% by the end of the season."

With all of the new video and statistic tools, tracking and measuring your performance has never been easier. Talk to your club about what tools they have available - and don't be shy about asking to use them... you or your parents are paying for those.

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Break it Down:

While young athletes should always dream big, conquering lofty goals like "I want to play for the national team" is done by conquering many, many smaller goals along the way. Breakdown your big goal into smaller, more manageable goals that you can work towards over time.

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Make Them Time-Bound:

Set a deadline for when you want to achieve each individual goal. This will help you stay motivated and give you a point of reference to determine if you are on track or not.

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Get a coach or mentor:

Find those that have achieved all or some of your goals. While everyone’s situation is going to be different, a coach or mentor who is been through a similar process can help you set realistic and achievable goals and provide guidance and feedback as you work towards them.

Keep in mind, no one is going to have all of the answers and they definitely can’t do the work for you… but have guidance along the way can help to make sure you’re staying along the right path.

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Monitor progress:

It's important to regularly take stock of your progress and adjust your goals as needed. Reflect on what's working and what's not and make changes accordingly.

If possible, it's best to do both a self-assessment and get guidance from your coach or mentors.
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If your coach or club has not established a regular evaluation framework, ask them to do so. Ensure whoever is doing the evaluating has spent sufficient time observing your performance both in training and in games.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, setting goals as a competitive soccer player is crucial for success on and off the field. By setting specific, measurable, and time-bound goals and breaking them down into smaller, more manageable steps, you can work towards achieving your big goals over time. Using your support system to find a coach or mentor, and regularly monitoring your progress, can provide valuable guidance and feedback to help you stay on track.

Finally, keep in mind that soccer is a team sport, and while individual goals are important, it's also important to strive for the betterment of the team as well - I strongly believe that being a great teammate will also help you achieve your individual goals.

We hope you find these tips helpful, both on the pitch and elsewhere. With a clear plan and a sense of purpose, you can achieve your soccer dreams and become the best player you can be.

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