{"id":750,"date":"2010-08-26T16:30:58","date_gmt":"2010-08-26T16:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=750"},"modified":"2025-08-07T06:23:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T10:23:12","slug":"why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Setting Goals is So Important for Sports Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids.jpg\" alt=\"Youth Sports Psychology\" class=\"wp-image-3753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Setting_Goals_in_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Setting Goals in Youth Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/#Setting_Goals_in_Youth_Sports\" >Setting Goals in Youth Sports<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/#Setting_goals_or_guidelines_for_playing_time_is_one_example\" >Setting goals or guidelines for playing time is one example.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/#Parents_and_coaches_can_help_kids_set_goals\" >Parents and coaches can help kids set goals.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a great idea to <strong>set goals<\/strong> for sports kids. <strong>Goal-setting <\/strong>helps improve kids\u2019 <strong>motivation<\/strong> and <strong>commitment,<\/strong> helps them stay <strong>focused<\/strong> on what to accomplish, helps them assess their strengths and weaknesses, and track their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But who should do it&#8211;the parent, the young athlete, or the coach? And what do you as a sports parent do if you want your child to set goals, but the coach doesn\u2019t <strong>focus<\/strong> on this issue?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are great questions that we recently discussed with Kurt Stahura, associate professor in the Department of Recreation and Sport Management at the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. He has a degree in sport sociology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stahura says that especially for teams, the <strong>goals should be clear<\/strong> from the get-go. That way, parents and sports kids are less likely to get upset, angry or feel hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Setting_goals_or_guidelines_for_playing_time_is_one_example\"><\/span>Setting goals or guidelines for playing time is one example.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIf you have an elite travel baseball team, if the coaches say, \u2018Our goal is to win, we won\u2019t have equal playing time and we\u2019ll have extensive travel,\u2019 <strong>being proactive<\/strong> like that is better for everyone,\u201d<\/em> Stahura says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That way, the parent won\u2019t say later, <em>\u201cMy child isn\u2019t getting enough playing time,\u201d<\/em> he says. Or if parents do say this, the coach can remind them that the <strong>goals and expectations<\/strong> were set and communicated up front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child\u2019s coach does not <strong>set either team or individual goals<\/strong>, and you think it\u2019s a great idea to set them, Stahura suggests you approach the coach in a diplomatic fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at Kids\u2019 Sports Psychology, we agree. Rather than telling the coach he or she is doing something wrong, you might say,<em> \u201cHey, I read this e-book at <strong>Kids\u2019 Sports Psychology<\/strong> about <strong>goal setting<\/strong> and I\u2019d like to show it to you and see what you think.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parents_and_coaches_can_help_kids_set_goals\"><\/span>Parents and coaches can help kids set goals.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>They need to establish:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Long-term or dream goals,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intermediate,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Short-term, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Immediate&#8211;or what we call <strong>process goals<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This last group helps kids stay grounded in the moment, which is critical to <strong>building confidence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids need to take a multi-disciplinary approach to improving. They can set many different goals beyond <strong>improving<\/strong> their performance or scoring <strong>goals.<\/strong> Young athletes can set practice goals, <strong>mental game goals<\/strong>, fitness goals and nutrition goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, young athletes, with their parents\u2019 support, will work with their coaches to establish their goals and objectives. It\u2019s critical for parents, coaches and young athletes to be on the same page when it comes to <strong>goal-setting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We always include an important warning when we talk about setting goals. <strong>Kids shouldn\u2019t over-do it<\/strong>. <strong>Perfectionists<\/strong> will set goals and see them as a task to master. This can burn them out. Instead, they need to see goals as general guidelines that can be evaluated and changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/setting-goals-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>Setting Goals for Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/goals-vs-expectations-for-kids\/\"><strong>Goals vs. Expectations for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-kids-focus-on-goals-while-theyre-isolated\/\"><strong>Help Kids Focus on Goals While They\u2019re Isolated<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Setting Goals in Youth Sports It\u2019s a great idea to set goals for sports kids. Goal-setting helps improve kids\u2019 motivation and commitment, helps them stay focused on what to accomplish, helps them assess their strengths and weaknesses, and track their performance. But who should do it&#8211;the parent, the young athlete, &#8230; <a title=\"Why Setting Goals is So Important for Sports Kids\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/why-setting-goals-is-so-important-for-sports-kids\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Why Setting Goals is So Important for Sports Kids\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,5,14,6,12],"tags":[71,39,70,172,251],"class_list":["post-750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-goals-for-kids-in-sports","category-kids-in-sports","category-youth-sports-podcast","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","category-youth-sports-tips","tag-goal-setting","tag-kids-sports-psychology","tag-motivation","tag-sport-psychology","tag-youth-sports","resize-featured-image"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}