Setting Goals

One of the great life lessons that gymnastics can teach (so long as it’s reinforced by parents and coaches) is goal-setting.

Encouraging our kids to set goals is an important way to help them to figure out what they want in their young lives. What do they want to work towards? What do they want to spend their time planning and reaching?

Kids start off life by working towards the goals that their parents, teachers, or coaches set for them. They adopt the goals of others as their own.

When we ask them what their goals are, they have the opportunity really think about what they want. They begin to take responsibility for the decisions they make. They can learn how to make a plan.

In my Individual First program, gymnasts are taught how to make goals, set plans to reach them, and work to attain them. As coaches, it is sometimes hard in the gym to find the time necessary to develop and reinforce life lessons like goal-setting. That’s where my program comes in; life lessons are reinforced by activities and challenges that center around the mental side of gymnastics. These things can’t always be developed fully in the gym, so we take a bit of time outside of the gym to work on them.

One of the resources that I’ve created is the “Gym Rats Guide to Setting Goals.” This guide teaches gymnasts how to set goals, make an action plan and timeline, and reach for them. You can get a free copy here!

If you want more resources on helping to develop a well-rounded gymnast, then join the One Gymnast at a Time Facebook group dedicated to just that! Together we are creating a NEW gymnastics culture… one gymnast at a time.