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8Goal setting in physical education and sports sector
UDC 37.013.21
Associate Professor, PhD S.L. Sazonova1 Associate Professor, PhD A.K. Simonova1 1Ural State University of Physical Culture, Chelyabinsk
Corresponding author: nir@sport-ural.ru
Abstract
Objective of the study was to theoretically substantiate the goal setting technology application in sports and offer a goal setting application algorithm to facilitate competitive progress.
Methods and structure of the study. We run, for the purposes of the study, psychological tests to rate the goal setting situation and potential progress in sampled athletes (n=40). The test set included: (1) Goal-Methods-Result test to rate the individual predispositions for purposeful actions and profile the individual goal setting skills and specifics; and (2) Self-esteem rating test.
Results and conclusion. The study demonstrates benefits of the goal setting technology application for success in sports, provided it is well designed and managed at every training stage to help the athlete develop the need and skills for self-reliant persistent goal setting for the individual and group progress. Determined goal setting practicing helps develop a range of qualities critical for success including determination, responsibility, efficiency, decision-making, progress management and forecast skills. Benefits of a prudent goal setting technology are particularly clear and fast in the physical education and sport sector, since an athletic progress take relatively little time when prudently designed and managed so as to efficiently set specific goals in the growth process taking into account the individual and socio-psychological specifics at every progress stage. The goal setting algorithm should be applicable for very specific progress missions to be effective. Prudent training process design should consider clear goal setting as a starting point for success and a key element in the professional service of every sports trainer.
Keywords: goal setting, goal attainment theory, priority values, sports activity, athlete.
Background. Presently the sports practice finds virtually no application for the goal setting technology (ranked high among other progressive psycho technologies) due to the fact that it is not covered by the sports psychologist training curricula; with the situation further aggravated by the shortage of the practical application guidelines. Efforts to develop and implement the goal setting application algorithm in the modern sports training systems on an individualized and customized application offer great benefits for the competitive performance, resource mobilization and success motivations - and that is why the relevant research is needed.
Objective of the study was to theoretically substantiate the goal setting technology application in sports and offer a goal setting application algorithm to facilitate competitive progress.
Methods and structure of the study. We run, for the purposes of the study, psychological tests to rate the goal setting situation and potential progress in the sampled athletes (n=40). The test set included: (1) Goal-Methods-Result test to rate the individual predispositions for purposeful actions and profile the individual goal setting skills and specifics; and (2) Self-esteem rating test.
Theory and Practice of Physical Culture I teoriya.ru I November № 11 2021
Results and discussion. The Goal-Methods-Result test found most of the sample facing the following goal setting problems in the Goal domain: goal formulation and grounding difficulties; unclear/ volatile goals; reliance on support from outside (such test data were highlighted by yellow). Two athletes were tested particularly incapable in goal setting and, therefore, prone to "micro-goals" setting. And only a few people in the sample were tested capable in setting specific clear goals and determined to attain them.
Around 37.5% of the sample was found quite adequate in the Methods domain, i.e. in choosing methods adjustable to the actual situations; and 42.5% were tested with occasional problems in finding methods. This limitation may be due to some personal psychological barriers or a need for really constructive, clear and achievable goal. A few athletes reported shortage of attainment methods and a limited choice; and about the same proportion was tested spontaneous on the Methods scale.
And on the Results scale the sample was tested highest, with 80% found sober and balanced when rating the results without over- or underestimation; and the remaining 20% were tested prone to over-estimation on the Results scale. Therefore, the Goal-Methods-Result test data give the grounds to believe that the goal setting skills building efforts should be designed mostly to help the athletes clearly set goals and find due methods to attain them.
On the Self-esteem scale, 65% of the sample was tested not confident enough in own resource and having doubts in decision-making. One athlete (2.5%) showed an inflated self-esteem i.e. proneness to overestimating own capacity, whilst the rest were quite objective in self-rating.
Goal setting and emotional stress/ tension in competitions are known to depend on how the athlete is determined i.e. on his/ her success motivations - that may vary in their turn depending on the individual and social value of the win or loss. The goal setting process should be generally designed to: formulate the personal goal in the event; build up a positive mindset to attain this goal; and reinforce confidence in the goal being realistic and attainable. However, in the goal attainment, the athlete should closely monitor and rate the situation and own resource to efficiently manage own actions versus the personal progress benchmarks.
Furthermore, the goal setting implies coping with barriers on the way to success in the most efficient
way. One of the most important prerequisites for success is that the athlete should be fully committed and conscious in the goal setting process, acting with good understanding of every difficulty in the precom-petitive training so as to manage own resource at every training stage knowing the practical significance of the goal. The goal setting process should be driven by a rational algorithm for success, with prudent energy cost rating and management elements. The algorithm implies a sequence of questions and answers paving the way to the preset goal. It should also be mentioned that such a goal setting process algorithm would help effectively change the athlete's mental conditioning patterns for competitions and generally make his life strategies more rational and energy-saving.
One of the benefits of the prudent goal setting technology in sports is that it helps the athletes develop the independent solution-finding skills with a growing reliance on own resource, life experience, intuition and feelings. At the same time, the staged goal setting process helps work out individual consciousness on deeper levels to mobilize motivation, creativity, intentions, vital energy and cognitive resource to effectively employ own potential, with special benefits for the overall mental controls. As a result, the athlete may develop leadership qualities and success motivations for fast competitive progress, plus sound responsibility, with the decision-making and own life management abilities.
In terms of the modern sports psychology, the goal setting technology is an effective tool for the athlete's mental conditioning that should be as regular as the physical training process for success. Mental control qualities and skills are known to grow with regular trainings and stresses in the same way as muscles become elastic and strong with physical trainings.
Conclusion. The study demonstrates benefits of the goal setting technology application for success in sports, provided it is well designed and managed at every training stage to help the athlete develop a need and skills for self-reliant persistent goal setting for the individual and group progress. Determined goal setting practicing helps develop a range of qualities critical for success including determination, responsibility, efficiency, decision-making, progress management and forecast skills. Benefits of a prudent goal setting technology are particularly clear and fast in the physical education and sport sector, since athletic progress take relatively little time when prudently designed and managed so as to efficiently set specific
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goals in the growth process taking into account the individual and socio-psychological specifics at every progress stage. The goal setting algorithm should be applicable for very specific progress missions to be effective. Prudent training process design should consider clear goal setting as a starting point for success and a key element in the professional service of every sports trainer.
References
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2. Gorshkova V.V. Freedom of pedagogical goal-setting as creativity and responsibility. Khabarovsk, 1994. 27 p.
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Theory and Practice of Physical Culture I teoriya.ru I November № 11 2021
