Setting Goals for a Great Season

A new season is a fresh start, and the athletes who get the most out of it usually start with a plan. Before the snow flies, take ten minutes to think about what you want this winter to look like. Here's how to set goals that actually help you grow.

1. Mix outcome goals and process goals

Outcome goals are about results: "land on the podium at the KFC" or "qualify for the next level of competition." They're exciting and give you something big to chase. But they depend on things you can't control, like judges, weather and how everyone else skis that day.

Process goals are about what you do: "tuck my knees on every 360," "look at my landing before I take off," or "do my full warm-up before every run." You control these completely, and they're what actually lead to the results.

The best plan has one or two outcome goals for motivation, backed by process goals you can work on every single day on the hill.

2. Make your goals specific

"Get better at jumps" is hard to measure. How would you know when you've done it? Compare that with "land a clean 360 on the medium jump by the end of January." Now you know exactly what you're working toward, and you'll know when it's time to celebrate.

A good goal answers three questions: what exactly, how you'll know you did it, and by when.

3. Break big tricks into small steps

No one learns a big trick in one day. Every new trick is built on a ladder of smaller wins, and each rung builds confidence for the next. For an inverted trick, that ladder usually looks like this:

1. Learn it on the trampoline, where you can repeat it safely.

2. Take it to the airbag or water ramp and feel it with skis on.

3. Bring it to snow once your coach says you're ready.

Talk with your coach about what the steps look like for your goal. Checking off each one is a win worth celebrating, even if the final trick is still a few weeks away.

4. Write them down and share them

A goal that lives only in your head is easy to forget by February. Write your goals somewhere you'll see them: your phone, your bedroom wall, or the inside of your ski bag.

Then share them with your coach. When your coach knows what you're working toward, they can build it into your training and help you track your progress. Bring two or three goals to your first session of the season.

5. Stay flexible

Injuries, bad weather, and off days are all part of the sport. If a goal stops making sense partway through the season, adjusting it isn't failing. It's smart training.

Check in on your goals around the holidays. Are they still the right ones? Are they too easy, or too hard? Tweak them with your coach and keep going.

Try this: your season goal sheet

Grab a piece of paper and fill in these four lines:

• My big goal this season: one outcome you're excited about.

• Three things I'll do every day to get there: your process goals.

• My first small step: what you'll work on in your first few sessions.

• Who I'll share this with: your coach, a parent, or a teammate.

Keep it somewhere you'll see it, and bring it to your first session.

For parents: how to support your athlete's goals

• Ask, don't set. Ask your athlete what they want to work on this season. Goals they choose themselves are the ones they'll chase.

• Praise effort and progress. "I saw you go for it on that jump" goes further than "did you win?"

• Celebrate the small steps. A first clean landing on the airbag is a big deal, even if it never shows up on a results sheet.

• Keep perspective after a tough day. Every athlete has them. A calm car ride home helps more than a breakdown of what went wrong.

See you on the snow!

Coach Lauren