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Goals Realistic, yet challenging goals for each athlete are important to the motivation of the athlete both at training and during competition. Goals establish and drive the action of both training and competition plans. Sport confidence in athletes helps to make participation fun and is critical to the athlete's motivation. Please see the Principles of Coaching section for additional information and exercises on goal setting.   Goal Setting Setting goals is a joint effort between the athlete and coach. Following are the main features of goal setting. Structured into short-term, intermediate and long-term Stepping stones to success Must be accepted by the athlete Vary in difficulty — easily attainable to challenging Must be measurable Long-Term Goal The athlete will acquire basic aquatics skills, appropriate social behavior and functional knowledge of the rules necessary to participate successfully in aquatics competitions.   Benefits Increases athlete's level of physical fitness. Teaches self-discipline Teaches the athlete sports skills that are essential to a variety of other activities Provides the athlete with a means for self-expression and social interaction   Individual Goal Setting and Evaluation Card The card is used to plan the individual athlete's training and keep a record of targets met and timelines of achievement.   Coaching Points Keep the athlete's Assessment Card with their Individual Goal Setting and Evaluation Card — this becomes the athlete's individual training plan all the way to his/her promotion into squads.

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