Training week 5- 22nd/24th April

Meditation

Aim- Athlete Z will need to go through Meditation to re-energise himself for the upcoming games, this week is Meditation which means he will have to perform certain Meditation tasks to help him to overcome fatigue and be ready for match days after tough training sessions.

Meditation Programme

It is another week which means there is another training programme for Athlete Z to take on. This Week is a real treat for the Athlete as he can enjoy himself Meditate! Not bad for a training programme!

Every athlete would agree that energy is a key ingredient to success in sport. Food, restful sleep, breath and meditation are the four sources of energy. The amount of energy gained from meditation is greater than that from sleep with 20 minutes of meditation equal to 8 hours of deep sleep. Meditation is probably the most powerful technique known to relieve stress and anxiety and restore health.

Meditation can be very helpful in harmonizing Athlete Z’s mind. It can help his muscles relax and fight stress, depression and anxiety and boosts tolerance levels. Meditating regularly can relax the muscles and reduce blood pressure. A good meditation routine will help him stay focused and objective and will give his mind a much needed break so he can be fresh when it comes to match days raring to go.

Below is a training programme for the Meditation for Athlete Z to complete for a week before he plays his match:

1 Yogic Stretching:

Yogic stretching is different from the western concept of exercise and is essential to beginning your meditation because it frees excess energy, allowing the mind to relax with ease. Take IMPACT Action: Perform 5-10 rounds of posture sequences (learned under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher) such as Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) in which each posture is synchronized with the breath.

2 Pranayam (Yogic Breath):

Pranayam is breath control that noticeably shifts mood and energy and purifies the mind. Importance is given to the breath because the lungs can remove as many as 250 toxins and impurities from the body simply through the regular practice of pranayam. Take IMPACT Action: Spend 10 minutes performing yogic breathing exercises (learned under the guidance of a teacher); yogic breath has been practiced for thousands of years, and has been shown to improve cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, and increase concentration, attention and memory.

3 Create Personal Space:

It’s important to create a comfortable, personal space where you sit each day to meditate. Practicing in the same space builds up an uplifting atmospheric vibration; you can surround this space with inspiring images. Take IMPACT Action: Sit comfortably with your spine erect, on a chair or cross-legged on the floor, whatever is most relaxing for you. Do not lie down. Sit to meditate for 20 minutes, twice daily.

4 Be Regular with Your Practice:

Practice makes perfect. When you practice regularly, you train your mind to associate with that calm, meditative state. Take IMPACT Action: Do your best to practice at the same time each day, and for the same length of time. If you feel restless, stick with it, observe the restlessness and complete the 20 minutes.

5 Your Meditation Mantra:

“I am nothing, I want nothing, I do nothing”: Meditation can be boring because, for once in your life, you are not wanting to do or think anything. Nor will your meditation work if you sit with the intention of wanting something from your practice. Take IMPACT Action: Sit with an attitude of gratitude. Thoughts will come and go; don’t try to chase them away or control them — simply observing without any resistance will bring your mind and body much-needed rest and relaxation. Remember, thoughts when observed will naturally dissolve; they are like waves in an ocean, they come and go.

6 Reduce Caffeine, Alcohol and Processed Foods:

The benefits of a good meditation practice are limited if diet and nutrition are not addressed. Caffeine can disrupt sleep and cause anxiety and restlessness, alcohol can impair balance and steadiness and deplete key electrolytes and minerals vital to nerve and muscle co-ordination and processed food is infused with chemicals and preservatives. Take IMPACT Action: Reduce your intake of caffeine and alcoholic beverages and eat plenty of fresh, unprocessed foods.

7 Value Your Practice:

 It is important to honour your meditation practice and give it the same priority you give your daily sports training routine. Take IMPACT Action: Turn off your phone and anything else that might distract you. Be 100 per cent with your meditation, approach it with reverence and do it with awareness.

Athlete Z says:

This has been a real treat for me to perform Meditation and this is what I will carry on doing every week as this has really freshened my mind and stay focused on my tasks both at college and football. I feel really energised and I was raring to go for my game which we won 2-0 and I had well, not the best game ever but it was a decent performance from me, I was fully focused and had the energy and concentration to play 75mins in full throttle without worrying about a thing just enjoying the game. That is exactly what I did during the match, I ran up and down the whole pitch running at least 6km in that game. Attacking wise I was sharp and quick and defensively working back I was good too. I had a very mature performance and my breathing during the game was getting easier as I felt really fit through these meditation techniques as even the muscles in my body weren’t cramping too. This was overall a very successful week for me as meditation is something I will keep with me forever, I will definitely be meditating every week to keep on task and stay fresh, even feel good about myself!

Conclusion

To conclude this week I believe it has been a very good week for Athlete Z as he has flourished during his games and most importantly started to believe in himself more and feeling fresh and good about life in general. Athlete Z is really impressed and has really reduced all the other stress factors in his everyday life. As he keeps on doing this every week it will get better and better. This was for only one week and he felt a difference, so meditating every week can really enable Athlete Z to feel good and keep performing at high levels worrying about nothing hopefully and that is a huge bonus for him if he can enjoy playing football without being stressed and just play the game he loves.

Training Week 4- 15th/17th April

Psyching up Music

Aim- This week is all about Athlete Z listening to Music before his matches to help motivate and psych him up. This is really important as Athlete Z must get psyched up so he can focus and be up for the match he is going to play.

Music to Motivate

Well we are back for another week of blogging and this week it is all about Music!

Latest research suggests well-chosen tunes at the right time can aid performance and recovery by up to 10%. With the help of an expert playlist, here’s how. Searching for that extra half-a-second to catapult you and your team-mates to glory? According to leading sports psychologists, music is a powerful tool which Athlete Z will be using, which can give a competitive advantage at any level.  Ranging from slow tempo, inspirational tracks the day before a match to high-octane anthems immediately before kick-off, researchers believe music helps mental preparation and establish routine. Athlete Z will be told to synchronise whatever activity he is engaging in to the tempo of music there's a very clearly energetic effect that is bound to show. Various studies point to a 10% reduction in perceived exertion because the body’s emotional state can be transferred into a physical reaction. The dressing room jukebox is a perfect setting where high tempo tunes can match a player’s anticipated heart rate and inspire them to on-field success.

Players should incorporate music into pre-game rituals at an early age because, once in their 20s, players are unlikely to break habits. The best results come from songs that have meaning to the individual, music’s subconscious power. Athlete Z will benefit from listening to a soundtrack immediately before kick-off.

To give Athlete Z a head start I have compiled a list of songs which could inspire the Athlete to achieve as much as a 10% performance increase. Split into three sections – visualisation, pre-match motivation and post-match reflection – the Motivational Music Playlist for Footballers explains what the player should listen to, and when, to help hit top gear.

Visualisation

Voices of the Valley Abide with Me (42 beats per minute)

A song to stir the heart of any footballer, this choral piece is as interwoven with the sport’s heritage as the FA Cup itself.

R Kelly I Believe I Can Fly (60BPM)

Whether it’s soaring to meet a cross or sprinting down the touchline like Ryan Giggs in his prime, this track is sure to promote inspiring imagery.

Luciano Pavarotti Nessun Dorma (50-60BPM)

Inimitably linked with England’s gallant showing at Italia 90, this aria brings to mind images of footballing greatness, striving for glory, and passion.

David Bowie Heroes (113BPM)

Driven by Brian Eno’s wailing guitar licks and Bowie’s call to arms, if the Berlin wall can be brought down then so can the opposition back line!

Keith Mansfield (composer) Grandstand theme (132BPM)

This rousing up-tempo number served as a frame to the BBC’s football coverage for generations and provides a definitive soundtrack.

 

Pre-match motivation

Queen We Are the Champions (64BPM)

Premiership sides’ victory anthem since the early 1990s has a rousing crescendo which will quicken your pulse and strengthen your resolve to succeed on the pitch.

The Farm All Together Now (112BPM)

An evocative tribute to the impromptu England vs Germany match in 1916 no man’s land, this classically-inspired piece has become associated with several teams including England’s challenge at Euro 2004.

Tinie Tempah Pass Out (127BPM)

This dance floor romp’s visceral bass, combined with Tinie’s confidence and intense vocal dexterity, will lift your spirits as you prepare for action.

Dario G Carnival de Paris (137BPM)

A thunderous samba rhythm section serves as a pre-match stimulant while the triumphant horns resemble a rallying call to arms.

 

AR Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls ft Nicole Scherzinger Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny) (137BPM)

The curtain fall for 2008’s uplifting film Slumdog Millionaire, mesmeric Indian rhythms and soaring harmonies combine for an uplifting and energising listen.

 

Post-match relaxation

Enya Anywhere Is (100BPM)

This refreshing celtic-influenced ballad is an ideal soundscape to induce relaxation and a feeling of harmony after the battle on the pitch has subsided.

Sergio Mendes Mas que Nada (99BPM)

Synonymous with Brazil’s inimitable football style since featuring in Nike’s pre-France 98 commercials, Mendes’ lilting Latin jazz rhythms have a relaxed feel.

Groove Armada At the River (68BPM)

With its signature lazy trombone solo, this tune is packed with the carefree, meandering tranquillity of a summer’s day; the perfect restorative after 90 intense minutes on a frosty pitch!

Seal Kiss from a Rose (44BPM)

Sometimes it’s hard to select relaxing music that retains a “masculine” energy, but the London soul man’s iconic track is dark, brooding, and yet strangely soothing.

Fleetwood Mac Albatross (67BPM)

This shimmering instrumental calms the spirit and replaces any tension with a floating serenity and assured calm. A perfect backdrop to reflect on your performance.

 

Athlete Z has a say

This week has been fairly easy, I have been told to listen to the music playlists created by the blogger during periods of time where it is said of what playlist to listen too. At first I thought honestly it wouldn’t work, but then actually listening to the change of music and the drop of the beat really did act as a stimulant to my performance as it really did spur me on to play up to my level best and create chances and score goals for my team during the match. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened this week. We won 4-0 against a fairly decent side from Yorkshire; I had assisted twice and scored a goal myself in a man of the match performance which really has pleased me as I really did work hard. I believe some of the contribution to my great display did come from listening to the high octane music which really did help me heaps and bounds. It has been a great week and I will definitely be adding this to my routine every week before my matches as I believe this can keep bolstering my performances and keep me on form by performing on another level every week hopefully.

Conclusion

Well as you have read this week was another success as the high octane music before matches really did ‘bolster’ Athlete Z’s performances like he had said. It really has become an integral part of the Athletes routine before matches as he now can make this in to a habit which cannot be broken, hopefully helping him to be consistent in his game play too which is vital for him and he really does believe that can happen and it possibly can if he remains psyched up listening to music.

Training Week 3 – 8th/10th April

Relaxation Techniques

Aim- Athlete Z must take part in Relaxation Techniques which will enable the Athlete to breathe easily and remain calm in any given circumstances which will leave him to perform better and reduce anxiety levels. This will be carried out on the dates mentioned above. This is around a week long programme as well as it can be used every week if he finds it beneficial.

A relaxation program should begin with "Getting Loose" and then followed with "Breathing Easy".

Getting Loose

Begin each session as follows

• Loosen your clothing and remove your shoes
• Lie down with a pillow under your head (on a bed or on the floor)
• Lie flat on your back, feet about 12 to 18 inches apart and your arms at your sides
• Go as limp as you can from head to foot
• Let your shoulder blades go slightly flat
• Waggle your feet
• Settle in with your legs
• Shake your arms gently, rolling the backs of your hands against the floor
• Roll your head back and forth

Now begin the "Getting Loose" exercise for each part of your body, as follows

• Legs
• Flex the muscles of your left leg by raising it 6 to 10 inches above the floor Point your toes slightly back toward your head. Hold this position of tension for as long as you can, about 10 seconds or so, until you begin to feel the muscles start to tremble. Then, say to yourself 'Leg, let go'. At this point, stop flexing it and let the leg drop. Let the leg rest for another 10 seconds or so, saying to yourself 'I feel the tension flowing out of my leg...my leg feels relaxed, warm, heavy... completely relaxed'
• Repeat the flex-let go-rest procedure for that leg.
• Run through the entire procedure again for your right leg.
• Buttocks and thighs
• Tighten your buttock and thigh muscles, as tightly as you can. Hold them as long as you can - longer than 10 seconds - until you have to let go. Then release them, saying 'Let go', to yourself. Pause for 10 seconds or so and focus your attention on the relaxed feeling in those muscles, on the tension flowing out.
• Repeat the exercise.
• Stomach
• Do the same procedure twice for your abdominal muscles
• Back and Neck
• Arch your spine, tightening all along it from your tailbone to your neck, and finish by telling it 'Let go'.
• Repeat the exercise
• Arms and Shoulders
• Imagine there is a bar suspended above you that you want to use to pull yourself up. Raise your hands, palms upward, above your chest. Grab the imaginary bar and clench your fists around it as hard as you can. Flex the muscles in your arms and shoulders. Hunch your shoulders up as tightly as you can. Hold as long as possible and then say 'Let go. ' Rest for 10 seconds or so, soaking up the warm, relaxed feelings, letting the tension flow out.
• Repeat the exercise
•  Eyes
• Focus on a point on the ceiling. Without moving your head slowly roll your eyes to the right as far as they will go, then to the centre, then to the left, then back to the centre.
• Rub the palms of your hands together until you feel heat. Close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Let the heat warm them. Rest, and tell your eyes 'Let go' and feel the tension flow out as you feel the warmth.
• Entire body
• Clench your feet and fists. Pull your shoulders up. Tighten your jaw and face. Now simultaneously flex your entire body, arching yourself as much as you can from your heels to the back of your head. Hold it for as long as you can until you feel your body tremble. Then say 'Let go' - and just let yourself go... all the way, as much as you can.
• Lie there and feel the tension drain away.
• Get totally relaxed
• Close your eyes. Let your attention wander slowly over each part of your body, from legs to face, as you did in the exercise. If any area seems to have some residual tension, tense it. Let you. Feel the tension draining out of you, but do not worry if there is still a little left. Keeping your eyes closed, stay in this relaxed state for the rest of the 10 minute session. Think of a very pleasant, peaceful place. Think of floating in a small boat on a peaceful lake with a soft breeze gently rocking you back and forth, back and forth. Alternatively think of floating in space, lighter than air, weightless. Observe the pleasant, calm feelings. Tell yourself 'I am relaxed now... My legs feel relaxed... My buttocks, thighs, and abdomen feel relaxed... My back arms, shoulders, jaws, face and eyes feel relaxed... The tension has been let go. '

Focus your relaxed feelings

Now begin to focus this relaxation on your event. Tell yourself 'When I am running and I begin to feel tension gripping some muscles, I will be able to tell those muscles "Let go", saying "Let go" will recall the relaxed feelings I feel now and will release the tension from those muscles.'

Breathing Easy

Having completed the "Getting Loose" exercises remain lying on your back. Carry out the "Breathing Easy" exercise for 10 minutes, as follows

• Inhale
• Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your chest with air, counting four seconds to yourself 'One and two and three and four'. The count is to give you a nice and easy, even pace. Try to breathe as fully as you can without discomfort. Imagine your chest slowly filling with air, from your diaphragm to your collar.
• Hold breath
• When you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for another four seconds, again counting to yourself 'One and two and three and four'. This should be just a comfortable pause. Do not do it until you are blue in the face.
• Exhale
• Exhale - but do not blow. Just let the air out through your mouth slowly saying to yourself 'Easy...easy... easy... easy.' Let out as much air as you can, down to the lower part of the lungs. Feel yourself relaxing as you do. Feel your shoulders, chest and diaphragm letting go. As you exhale, think of the tension flowing out of you.

Do not worry if the sequence is not exact or the cadence perfect. It may seem a bit difficult to stay with at first, but just keep going. The important thing is to establish the slow relaxed breathing rate. After the ten cycles, your breathing rate will be automatically slower and you can dispense with the "one and two and three and four" cadence.

Now do as follows:

• Inhale - Breathe in fully.
• Hold breath - Hold it very briefly.
• Exhale - Let the air out slowly (do not blow), saying mentally 'Easy... easy... easy... easy ' with each exhalation.
• Repeat this cycle ten times.

You will soon begin to feel a calm, thoroughly pleasurable feeling - some say a warmth radiating from your chest throughout your body

Now let yourself breathe normally and tell yourself relaxing phrases 'I feel very relaxed... All the tension is going out of me as I exhale and good feelings are coming into me as I inhale... When I am playing my sport, I will be able to take a few deep breaths and by saying, "Easy " will be able to tell myself to relax whenever I feel overly tense... When I am playing, I will recall the good feelings I am experiencing now and they will automatically return to me. Imagine all this happening as you say it to yourself.

Now do as follows:

• Inhale - Breathe in slowly
• Hold breath - Hold it very briefly
• Exhale - Let the air out slowly while mentally saying to yourself 'Easy... easy... easy... easy.'
• Repeat this cycle ten times.

Now let your breathing go naturally, and pay attention to the pleasant feelings in your body. Repeat the same encouraging phrases to yourself that you did earlier. Listen to the sound of your own breath coming in and out. You will notice that the breathing is slow and deep without you having to make it that way. The exhaling will last longer - as long as an eight-count, perhaps.

Continue to do the breathing exercises for the rest of the session, each time alternating the ten cycles of inhale-hold-exhale with the mental encouragement. After the last cycle of ten, just let yourself enjoy the feeling for a minute.

Easy

Tell yourself for the rest of the day I will recall these sensations every time I tell myself 'Easy' (or a word/phrase you prefer to use).

 

 

This has been chosen to do with Athlete Z as he needs to relax at times and is really anxious when it comes to big game situations. He is sometimes worried about the atmosphere and what people will think of his performances when he is playing. This is why I have decided to put this programme in place for the Athlete as this will help him to relax and stay focused on the task ahead and not get distracted due to nerves. This is highly essential and I believe this will help him to overcome anxiousness and remain relaxed before matches.

Feedback from Athlete Z-

Wow! This programme was fantastic, best to date in fact. Did this everyday and it really did work especially before matches. Relaxation through these techniques helped me to stay calm and focused on the matches and that is exactly what had happened. During training sessions my breathing was fantastic as my whole body and my mind was fresh and relaxed which enabled me to just enjoy the training session in the sun. It was a real treat. Also, I did this before my big match for nelson. It was a huge game as a decent sized crowd turned up, so by performing these techniques I was all smiles and relaxed before the games with only slight nerves which straight away show it was a success. The game ended 0-0 which wasn’t a bad score considering the strength of the opposition, I played ok, got a few good crosses in and made opportunities for my team as well as I hit the post! Overall, this programme has helped me to stay calm and relax which has happened and I will be using these techniques every week for sure.

TRAINING WEEK 2 - APRIL 1ST/3RD

Training the Brain to Win

Aim- Training Athlete Z to believe he has what it takes to win and feel like a winner

This week is all about ‘Training the Brain to Win’ a famous quote from coaching Phil Jackson, “Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.” This week its simple and easy for Athlete Z, it is all with what and how he thinks of himself, with the help that is stated below Athlete Z must work towards techniques identified below to train his brain to win and nothing less.

Sports psychology is the scientific study of mind, emotion, and behaviour as it relates to athletic performance and physical activity. The mental demands of rigorous competition can be enormous, making sports psychology a crucial part of any athlete’s training regimen.

Athletes who diligently train their minds play their best more consistently, experience greater enjoyment, and increase their odds of victory. As one progresses to the higher echelons of any sport, physical skills tend to balance out among competitors. How, then, does the athlete distinguish him- or herself from the pack? It is here where we discover that having a superior mind-set is the key to gaining the upper-hand.

*There is no training programme for this or a long process, it is quick and simple. Athlete Z must make sure that he trains his mind to believe he is the best.

How can this be done?

Important mental skills for athlete z’s excellence include:

• Supreme, unwavering confidence in your abilities
• The ability to keep a laser-like focus when surrounded by distractions
• The capacity to sustain a high level of motivation throughout a long season
• The strength of will to conquer all anxiety, frustration, and discouragement
• The power to bring your intensity to the next level when needed

Effective mental training tools include:

• Clear and challenging short- and long-term goals
• Visualization of making great plays and succeeding on the field
• Positive, energetic language used to motivate yourself into a winning frame of mind
• A consistent breath during all moments of action
• Confident, upbeat body language to get the feeling of success in your body and mind

As athlete z is looking to improve his game it can benefit from sports psychology at any time. Junior athletes can get a significant head start on their peers by developing their mental strength early on, rather than waiting until college or beyond. Seasoned pros can ensure they stay on top of their game, never letting themselves get complacent, by training their minds appropriately.

Sports psychology services can be applied in all scenarios. Specific examples include:

• When the athlete z wants to reach his full potential. By fine-tuning his game mentally and emotionally, he can eventually exceed even his greatest expectations.
• When the athlete experiences any kind of setback, such as a mental block, performance plateau, prolonged slump, demotion, or injury.
• When off-field issues or concerns begin to interfere with the athlete ‘s z performance.

Athlete Z’s mentality will either hold him down or bring him up. He must strive to master his mind rather than being mastered by it. If he doesn’t, he will risk losing every game before it even starts. He must think about how he can improve his performance in the following areas:

• How you prepare mentally in practice and during training
• How you maintain a winning mind-set on the day of competition
• How you manage your thoughts in the moment of action
• How you deal with distractions
• How you use the results of competition to build your character from event to event
• How you communicate with others as a leader and a teammate
• How you decompress after training and competition to stay fresh and avoid burnout

To excel in each of these areas, he’ll need a game plan. For example, when dealing with results, he should take the time to learn from every poor performance rather than brooding or trying to forget it. After a peak performance, write down specifically what you were thinking, feeling, and doing immediately before, during, and after the event. The next time you need a boost in confidence or motivation, refer back to the list.

Athlete Z has his say
This week I have been working on training my brain, so it can help me to overcome tough obstacles and become a winner. This week I am out of action so I have taken this free time to work on this by continuously saying to myself I am the best and thinking of me becoming successful by scoring great goals and providing goals too. I am thinking positively which is helping me already as I feel confident and feel better about myself which is important. I am working even harder at the gym pushing more weights to build my strength and overcome my little injury, I really cannot wait to get in to action now. There is a great sense of ‘buzz’ and feeling I feel as though I really can finish the season strongly when I get back to playing ways.

Conclusion

Sports psychology is the key that can transform a weak performance into a brilliant one, and a good athlete into one of the best to have ever played the game. This can only be done by training the mind to believe that they can achieve the best by continuously talking and thinking positively, its quick and simple and has his great effects and you can see already by reading what Athlete Z had to say that he is feeling better about himself and is highly confident and cannot wait to be playing again. It really is a treat for one to become the best.

  

Training Week 1 (Week Beginning 24th March 2014)

Training Week 1 (Week Beginning 24th March 2014)

*AIM: To enhance Athlete Z’s goal setting skills which will enable him to increase motivation, self-confidence and reduce his anxiety which can help him to perform to the best of his capabilities and help his team win the league which is highly achievable.

I’m back! I hope my first blog which I recently posted was useful. Last week was all about the Athlete Z’s assessment stage, this week is the first of our six week training programme for the athlete to help improve him psychologically so he can perform to the best of his capabilities during matches as we know he has the talent!

The first week of training is all about Goal Setting. Below is the Goal Setting Programme which I have created for Athlete Z to work on for the rest of the week, and you guys can follow the progression throughout the week and see if it works and if it improves his Goal Setting.

Introduction to Goal Setting

Every successful person whether that is an artist, sports person or leader has a set goal which has driven and directed their efforts in their quest to be the best they can be. Goal setting is an extremely powerful technique for enhancing performance so it is one of the most important strategies you can implement for success in any environment. Goal setting is a common feature within many peoples day to day lives; everybody has an individual aim they want to achieve in a certain period of time.  Goal setting is also the outcome they desire from their actions, and so I strongly believe that Athlete Z can set goals to help him increase his motivation and self-confidence as well as reduce the levels of anxiety. Goal setting gives our daily actions a framework to work within and gives us direction in whatever we want to achieve. This will help Athlete Z vastly improve in areas he lacks ad this will work to direct his energy and efforts.

Use of Goal Setting

1.       Goals direct attention to tasks at hand and highlights what needs to be completed. It allows you to implement strategies to develop specific elements of the business that need to be utilise to complete the goal. This will work well for the Athlete Z as then he can work towards the goal he has set by creating strategies on how he is going to get there, this is a great way for him to achieve his goal as he will make his own plan and he will be obliged to follow it to enable him to achieve his goal.

2.       Goals mobilise your efforts. You will put your efforts into moving towards the goal as you are provided with the incentive of completing the goal. This will motivate Athlete Z in to working harder than ever on the pitch which will help him achieve his goals and achieving goals leads to boosting of confidence which is essential for the player. When confidence rises the anxiety levels reduce as then the player plays with confidence and works twice as hard having a major effective on the football pitch. This is what we want from the goal setting programme.

This is what we want to get out from this Goal Setting programme as it all depends on the direction and the effort one puts in to achieve the goal. Working towards goals like mentioned above can enable the player to hit all the objectives we put down. That means the motivation and self-confidence will increase and anxiety will reduce through achieving goals.

Types of Goals

There are three types of goals Athlete Z can set: Outcome, Performance and Process.

-          Outcome– This is the end result. For example getting the order ready for dispatch by designated time.

-          Process – This is the actions needed to execute the goal correctly.

-          Performance – These are the standards independent of other variables.

Process + Performance = Outcome

 If Athlete Z follows these key principles it can give him a powerful tool to use to drive success.

It is important for Athlete Z to really focus his attention and make his goals specific. Specific to his and specific to the goal and avoid vague and broad goals like ‘I want the team to be the best’. Being specific will make the goal objective and will give him something to aim for and aspire to. Athlete Z must give himself a completion date, a deadline to complete the goal by which will enable him to play well and help his team to win the league or because the highest assist maker in the league.

Realistic and Challenging – Goals should be difficult enough to challenge but not so difficult they become unrealistic. This provides the athlete with a challenge.

Long Term and Short Term– Athlete Z must see long term goal as the top of the mountain to get to the top he needs to set and achieve smaller goals to reach the top. Achieving these smaller goals maintains motivation and attention.

I have chosen goal setting as an activity for Athlete Z to use because I strongly feel by using Process, Performance and Outcome– We have seen the different types of goal and how they fit together. If the athlete sets primarily process and performance goals then he has done all he can within his control to achieve the outcome goal. Doing this more times than not the outcome takes care of itself. Using this equation also harbours the right environment.

Conclusion Looking back at the goal setting for Athlete Z I think it has been a huge success. Athlete Z has made sure that he has kept his goal setting clear and reachable, wasn’t being optimistic and it was real. Athlete Z then worked hard in training to make sure he can achieve his goals and so he did. The hard work had paid off and now he is off and running as the season comes to a close he can keep setting minuet goals which will enable him to work towards them and finish strongly by the end. I feel this week has been a huge success both on and off the field. Cannot wait to see what next week has in store !