Goal Setting Ideas from SoccerHelp.com

(The following is from the review of April Heinrichs 3-DVD Set. I promise you it is absolutely fantastic for every coach at every level. And it is a great bargain at $49.95, it used to be $100. David at SoccerHelp )

April Heinrichs on Goal Setting. This is great and an example of why April Heinrichs has been so successful. DVD 1 shows April discussing goal setting with players. You should watch this with your players and if you have children, watch it with them. The value of this goes far beyond soccer and everyone can benefit from watching this. This is important to being successful and winning, and is an important part of a training program.)

Goal-setting is the foundation of success in soccer and in life. Goal setting is like a map for how to get where you want to go by the most direct route. If you don't know where you want to go, how are you going to get there? She explains the difference between a hope, a wish, a prayer and a goal: a goal is specific, observable, measurable in the amount of time or frequency, and should be worded in a positive way. Benefits of Goal-setting: Goals help you become accountable, they give you persistence in the face of adversity, they help you "get there" in a specific, concise and economical manner, and they direct your behavior by committing you to a path to achieve your goals. There are "Performance Goals" (also called "process goals") and "Outcome Goals". She recommends focusing on Performance Goals because those are the goals a player can control (Performance Goals are goals relating to a players actions or performance, such as improving speed, not arguing with the Ref, etc., as opposed to an "outcome goal" such as "winning the game", which a player has little control over. Perhaps for a coach, a performance goal might be to not sound angry or to not allow a goal on a breakaway). There are 4 types of Performance Goals in soccer: Technical, Tactical, Physical and Psychological. She recommends focusing on short-term goals so you can see results. Mistakes to avoid when setting goals: Don't set goals that are too hard, too easy, unrealistic, or can�t be measured.

April Heinrichs: No one can match April Heinrichs' experience and success as a player and coach. She was Soccer America's "Player of the Decade" for the 1980's, a 3 time All American at the University of North Carolina where she scored 87 goals in 90 games and Coach Anson Dorrance said she was one of the best he has ever seen at 1 v 1 attacking, in 1998 she was the first female player voted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Captain of the World Cup Championship team in 1991, Head Coach of the U.S. U-16 Girl's National Team, Head Coach at the University of Virginia, and Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. In brief, she was one of the best women's players to ever play and is now one of the best coaches. When you watch these DVD's, you will see that April Heinrichs is very skillful with the ball, very competitive (she's a winner), and that she is an excellent, likable coach who motivates players in a positive way. After watching these DVD's we've become big fans of April Heinrichs, and we believe you will too. She is a great coach, very likable and a wonderful role model to young players, both girls and boys. She's upbeat, full of energy, enthusiastic, nice, positive and fun to watch. I've talked to April and she is very smart, nice and polite. She was kind enough to give her thoughts on what youth coaches should emphasize in practice. Click here to read April Henrich's tips for youth coaches.

DVD 1: Passing, receiving, 1 v 1 attacking, 2 v 1 attacking (including overlaps, wall passes and takeovers), goal setting and an excellent game named Combat to develop toughness and aggressive play. (The section on goal setting is excellent - the best we've ever seen).