without ever batting an eye.  The eye batting begins when asked one question…“How do

     you plan to get there?”  The fact is that no superstar has ever gone from the cradle to

     professional superstardom (Although the NBA was pushing it for a while.)  Professional

     athletes are at that level for a reason.   At some point in their career they have set goals

     and put forth every effort to achieve them.  As a High School athlete it is imperative to set

     goals every step along the way in order to maximize improvement in performance.  Most

     people understand the philosophy behind setting “attainable” goals, but few improve by

     simply setting the goals.  Asking a high school student to set attainable goals is a lot like

     asking what type of punishment they deserve for missing curfew.  Rarely are you going to

     get a response that pushes them.  The “Stretch” goal ensures that the athletes have to

     push themselves on a daily basis.  For Example:

 

     A 9th grader comes into High School and writes down the following goal:

     “I want to play varsity soccer by the time I’m a sophomore”…end of statement.  This is

     not effective! Adding some SPECIFIC sub-points or “stair steps” can revamp this goal

     and provide a path to success.  Once this is in place the goal that was once a stretch goal

     becomes an ATTAINABLE stretch goal!

 

    I will play varsity soccer by the time I am a sophomore.

     Stair Steps:
     *Summer of 8th grade I will practice kicks, passing, speed drills and conditioning 

        5 days a week.

     *Summer of 8th grade I will take on a weight lifting program 4 days a week
     *Summer of 8th grade I will attend at least one soccer camp and pay for it myself
     *9th grade season I will practice on my own 1 weekend day during the season
     *9th grade school year after season I will take one month off
     *After month off I will practice kicks passing speed drills and conditioning 5 days a week
     *After month off I will take on a weight lifting program 4 days a week
     *I will start a proper diet, and adhere to this 5 days a week
     *I won’t play any soccer the week before 10th grade try-outs but focus only on

       conditioning.

 
Key Measurement Points
Make sure that workout programs actually work you out.  Seek help when putting this together.
Chart performance—how much weight you lift, how fast you sprint, how accurate you kick…
Don’t let yourself off the hook! Remember, Not one elite athlete became great overnight!
No matter how good you get you will always be a work in progress.