Goals and Goal Setting – Dr. David Cox (sport psychologist) (applied by Todd Wong)
Technical, tactical, physicial, mental are four parts of sports preparation. Athletes must have realistic motivation.
It is the quality of the training not the quantity that is important. High quantity can create the illusion of good preparation. (eg. Practices that simply go through the motions of racing instead of replicating actual conditions of a race simulation such as possible problems and race tactics with other boats).
GOALS
Ask yourself why you do this sport?
Do you want to win?
What makes you win? Confidence and efficacy (ability)
Shift goals from outcome to process (outcome or results cannot be controlled – but process can be controlled (how you train or compete or handle challenges).
Outcome is subject to outside influences – eg other racers, the weather, what you ate for lunch.
Performance and actions are under YOUR control. eg. how you handle challenges, your equipment, your attitude, your training, your diet.
Practice to Compete. If all we do is practice race starts then we become very good at doing race starts in practice situations (eg. no body else to race with – no understanding of what happens when a race is called.) Therefore we must do our best to simulate every possible condition that might happen during a race start so we are best prepared, if that possibility happens. We must also practice with other boats – some better, some not better.
Gung Haggis Fat Choy – Team and Personal Goals
My personal goal is to do my best to ensure a safe and fun time for everybody. This is accomplished by good coaching, encouraging each paddler, helping them reach levels of satisfaction and accomplishment, and building the best team and management/coaching group that I can.
To do this I will: read my coaching books, recruit a full team, keep in touch with paddlers to monitor both individual needs and team needs. I resolve to keep a positive and supportive attitude at all times.
– Todd Wong