Sport Psychology: Goal Setting and SMART Targets
Goal setting is a psychological technique used to direct effort, increase motivation and measure improvement in sport.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Decide whether the goal needed is an outcome goal (result-based, e.g. finishing top of a league) or a performance goal (based on the performer's own standard, e.g. reducing a personal time).
- Prefer performance goals for training and improvement, since they stay under the performer's control even if an opponent performs better on the day.
- Work through each letter of SMART in turn: state exactly what will improve (Specific), state how it will be measured (Measurable), check the target is within reach given current ability (Achievable), check it suits the performer's circumstances (Realistic), and give it a deadline (Time-bound).
- Where a question gives a named performer and a current level of performance, use the actual numbers given (a current time, score or distance) to build a specific, measurable target rather than a vague aim.
- Link the goal back to a psychological benefit: SMART goals raise motivation and confidence by giving the performer regular, achievable checkpoints, and reduce anxiety by making a large task feel manageable in stages.
- For extended questions, explain how a coach would review and adjust the goal once it is met or missed, showing that goal setting is an ongoing cycle rather than a single fixed target.
Worked example
A club swimmer currently completes 100m front crawl in 68 seconds. Her coach wants to set her a SMART target to work towards over an eight-week training block before her next gala. Write a SMART target for this swimmer and explain how it meets each part of SMART.
- Specific: state exactly what will change - her 100m front crawl time - rather than a vague aim such as 'swim faster'.
- Measurable: attach a number that can be timed and checked, for example reducing the time from 68 seconds to 65 seconds.
- Achievable: check the target is realistic given her current time; a three-second improvement over eight weeks of regular training is a reasonable, evidence-based amount for a club-level swimmer, rather than an unrealistic jump to 55 seconds.
- Realistic: confirm the target fits her circumstances, such as her training frequency and current fitness, so it is genuinely within reach.
- Time-bound: attach the deadline given in the question, the eight-week block before the gala, so there is a fixed point to review progress.
- Combine all five parts into one target: reduce her 100m front crawl time from 68 seconds to 65 seconds by the gala in eight weeks' time, checked with a timed swim every two weeks.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1What does the M in SMART stand for?Show answer
Answer: Measurable - the goal must include a way of checking progress, such as a time, score or number of repetitions.
Q2Give one difference between an outcome goal and a performance goal.Show answer
Answer: An outcome goal is based on the result of a contest against others, such as winning, while a performance goal is based on the performer's own standard, such as a personal best, which stays within their own control.
Q3Explain why a vague goal such as 'try harder in matches' is not SMART.Show answer
Answer: It is not specific or measurable - there is no clear target, number or way to check whether the goal has been achieved, so it cannot be reviewed or shown to have worked.
Q4A javelin thrower currently throws 32m and wants to improve. State one reason a target of 45m in two weeks would fail the Achievable part of SMART.Show answer
Answer: A 13m improvement in two weeks is far beyond what realistic training can achieve in that time, so the target is not within reach and could damage motivation when it is missed.
Q5Give one psychological benefit of setting SMART goals for a performer.Show answer
Answer: It increases motivation and confidence, since regular, achievable checkpoints give clear evidence of progress rather than leaving improvement feeling vague or distant.
Q6Why might a coach set a performance goal rather than an outcome goal for a gymnast before a competition?Show answer
Answer: Because a performance goal, such as hitting a personal-best score, stays under the gymnast's own control, whereas an outcome goal, such as finishing first, also depends on how well other competitors perform.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Physical Education exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A five-a-side football team has just been promoted to a higher division and has lost its opening three matches. Suggest a SMART target the coach could set for the team, and explain how it meets each letter of SMART.
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A 15-year-old badminton player has been selected for her county squad but tells her coach she feels she 'never really knows if training is working'. Discuss how her coach could use SMART goal setting to address this, using named, specific detail from her situation.
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See real GCSE Physical Education past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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