Awesome Texans: Double Dog Dare
Double Dog Dares
Dares are challenges to do something. So are your goals. As a kid Double Dog Dares are ones you can't refuse. We dare you to reach your goals. We Double Dog Dare you to reach them all. This section is to set and track the progress of our Season, Team and Individual Goals. They should only be seen by your Coaches, Players and Parents. You wouldn't want another team to know what your goals are particularly if it has something to do with them. Or would you? If we put it in here we will also put in the results.
Team Goals Always Go First
In team sports you should list your Team Goals first. Make sure they understand the advantage of working as a unit.
# Win at least one Tournament in Spring.
# Finish in the top Ten at Nationals.
# At least 3 upsets (beating teams we should not beat)
# Beat the Orange team with their top pitcher.
# Sweep all other Austin teams before they move up.
Group Goals should be next
Group goals help to narrow the focus and zero in a little more on what they have to do. It helps to bridge the gap between Team Goals and Individual goals.
# At least 3 of 4 pitchers pitch a no hitter.
# At least 1 pitcher to pitch a perfect game.
# All four of the pitchers to pitch a shut out.
# Three out of 4 reach 50 mph.
# All 4 pitchers to pitch in a Championship game.
Individual Goals should go last.
In team sports individual goals are still important. It's really hard to say which is more important between team, group and individual goals. Your team can reach all their goals without hitting any individual goals and consider themselves successful. You can reach every individual goal and not reach the team goals and consider yourself a failure. Of course we tend to think that the team is more important than the individual but don't neglect the fact that individual goals are your driving force. The team goals force you to remember that you are a part of something bigger than just yourself.
Coaches should have goals too.
If a coach goes without a goal then they should probably just be a fan. Some of their goals could mean more to the organization than all the rest. Of course they should have goals that help the team reach the team goals.
# No coach will come to practice without a practice plan.
# No coach will get thrown out of a game.
# No coach will yell or get mad at a player.
Don't forget to challenge your support groups
If you leave the Parents and fans out they will simply run wild and you will never know what they will do. But if you give them some goals then they will be focused too.
# No parent embarrass the team or player.
# No parent forget their scheduled snack day.
# No parent cause a player to be late.
Thursday, February 3
Tips for reaching goals
We will have goals in softball, in school, our profession, our life. We want to give ourselves the very best chance of achieving those goals. Here are some tips that can help.
1. Find a mentor - someone who has done what you want to do. In softball listen to the best upper classman, the grads, the pro's, the coaches or anyone that has already achieved all or some of what you are striving for. The worst thing you can do is to think you are too good to listen to what they have to say. If they help you with just one thing that gets you closer to your goal then make sure you recognize them for their contribution to your success. If you want to lose weight then hang out with people that eat right and exercise. If you want to do well in class then find others with good study habits. Maybe you do what they do or maybe you just get some helpful hints from them.
2. Surround yourself with supporters. This is a little different from the mentor. A supporter can be anyone that helps keep you motivated. They don't have to have accomplished anything. They just need to be on your side. Encourage you to keep going or praises you when you reach milestones. Stay away from those that try to keep you down because they have no real goals themselves.
3. Use visual and physical aides to help paint that picture in your mind. Use them to remind yourself of a task or a goal or whatever you want to keep on your mind. Little reminders like notes strategically placed, pictures that demonstrate what you want, rubber bands around your wrist or anything else that is a constant reminder of your desire.
4. Track your progress as often as it makes sense. Seeing yourself getting closer and closer to your goal is a great motivator and the closer you get the more you are likely to accelerate your efforts. In contrast if tracking your goals shows you are actually moving in the opposite direction you can step it up a bit to get back on the right track.
5. Maintain a positive attitude. After all, this is about you or your teammates. What is there to be negative about. Keep it real but why not see the sunny side of life. Particularly yours. Give yourself a reason to get up in the morning and get going.
6. Avoid things that set you up for failure. Be a quiter. Quit spending your time watching TV. Quit cheating on your workouts. Quit eating unhealthy food. Quit finding excuses that keep you from accomplishing what you want to do.
7. Find ways to make anything you do fun. The more fun you have doing something the more you want to do them and the more others want to do it with you. Make studying fun. Make your workouts fun. Make eathing healthing fun. Make chores fun. Does this make sense to you...."I don't want to workout anymore, it's too much fun".
8. Give yourself rewards. As often as you can and for the smallest accomplishments, find a way to recognize that you have succeeded at your task and are one step closer to your goals. A hug, a quarter in your bank, a trip to the mall, a call to a friend, a nice warm soapy soak in the tub. You figure it out. What do you like.
9. Stay focused. It's nice to have a lot going on in your life. Variety can be a great thing but don't bite off more than you can chew. Keep yourself focused on the most important things first. Prioritize your life so you can get things done and go to the next thing. Before you know it you will have knocked out a lot of things.
10. Finally and this may be the most important of them all. Set clear, realistic and reachable goals. Make them S.M.A.R.T. goals. A SMART goal is one that is S-Specific, M-Measureable, A-Achievable, R-Realistic, T-Time bound. Let's say you want to be the best pitcher in the USA. Is it specific? Well maybe but more has to go with it, like when. By the end of your Senior year or when? Is it measureable? Well yes but not as stated so add some specific taskes to the goal. If you have to have an ERA of 1.12, 40 strike outs, a won/loss record of 20-0, and able to throw 6 different pitches to be considered the best pitcher in the USA then certainly those are measureable, they are definitely achievable, but may not be realistic. So maybe you have to settle for Best Pitcher in Texas or Austin. The timeline would be by the start of the season. If you wait to figure it out by the end of the season it's too late. So now you have the right goal. You just need to stay focused, reward yourself when you do good, make the season fun, avoid the things that lead you to failure, maintain a positive attitude, track your progress, use some visual and physical aides, surround yourself with supporters and mentors and it's yours.
