C.11 - Set Goals for Peak Performance

C.11 - Set Goals for Peak Performance

Goal setting has been the rage in athletics over the last decade or so. Sports psychologists work with athletes and coaches to help them identify their personal "wish list" and then develop a plan to achieve it. According to the book Applied Sport Psychology (Mayfield Publishing Company), "goal setting has not only been shown to influence the performance of athletes of varied age and ability levels but has also been linked to positive changes in important psychological states such as anxiety, confidence and motivation."

Anxiety, confidence and motivation are clearly a part of the officiating world as well. Sports officials can and should follow the same goal setting path as athletes and coaches. Goal setting allows individuals to focus on specific objectives while maintaining effective work habits to achieve those objectives.

The goal setting process.
To ensure goal setting effectiveness, a thorough understanding of the goal setting process must be understood.

The most effective definition of the word "goal" is "attaining a specific standard of proficiency on a task, usually within a specific time limit." There are two general types of goals, outcome goals and performance goals. Outcome goals represent a standard of performance based on an event (i.e., winning a game). Performance goals focus on improvements in past performances (i.e., improving a golf stroke). 

Because officials don’t necessarily try to "win" and it is difficult to measure success in numbers (such as a baseball player wanting to hit .300), officials should focus on performance goals.

Remember the basic purpose of a goal. Goals are to help you generate better performance. Though that may sound oversimplified, goals are something to shoot for, something to motivate you to perform better.

Goal setting guidelines.
Goals need to be specific to be effective. A goal of "doing your best" usually does not achieve results. Even though officials have a tough time measuring success — Is it more games? Better games? Quicker games? — specific goals can be set. Here are some examples of specific, officiating related, performance based goals:

• A baseball plate umpire works for game on adjusting proper head height and getting in the slot to see the outside corner pitches better.
• A soccer official works for a game on watching the players adjusting for position when battling for a high ball.
• A basketball referee works at answering coaches’ questions and comments in a reasonable, controlled tone.

Set short-range and long-range goals.
The goals listed above are short-range goals, designed to increase one’s performance from game-to-game or week-to-week. Short-range goals are important because they show the official immediate improvement in performance and improve motivation.

Long-range goals are necessary to continue the chase of the ultimate goal. Look at your goals as steps. No one can leap from the first step to the top step. The short-range goals are the steps between where an official is now and where the official wants to be. Keep the long-range goal in mind because it is a motivator, but focus specifically on the short-range goals to get there.

Set difficult but realistic goals.
Generally speaking, the more difficult the goal, the better the performance. That’s only true though if the goal is within the official’s ability. An official who is currently working junior varsity high school games should not set a goal of being a professional official by next year. Though being a pro ref might be the long-range goal, there are obvious steps that need to be achieved before approaching professional status. Again, keep the long-range goals in mind but work on the short-ranges goals to get you there.

Set positive goals as opposed to negative goals.
Whenever possible, goals should be set in positive terms. The whole process of goal setting and achieving success is positive and positive words should be used. "I will work at getting better angles to make proper calls" sounds better than "I am not going to kick any more calls." By working on things that should happen, positive reinforcement occurs and motivation increases.

At the next opportunity, sit down and think about where you are in your officiating career and where you’d like to be. Then identify the steps that can help you get there. Establish realistic target dates and you’re on your way to using goal setting as a means to improve your performance.