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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Goal Setting - The Key to Achieving Success
When a hunter sets out with his gun and hunting dog, he knows what he's going hunting for. He know his TARGET! Do you as an athlete or coach know what you're aiming for? What's your TARGET? What's your GOAL?
One of the best ways to get to where you want to go in your sport, or in life for that matter, is to set GOALS. You must have a plan, a road map on how you will achieve the things you want.
First and most important, what is it that you want to achieve? Is it to make your school's Varsity High School Baseball Team. To be a star pitcher on your summer travel team? To be a stud hitter or an all-star caliber infielder? Maybe your GOAL is to get a scholarship to play at a Division I college? What ever your GOAL, you must first identify it and then write it down. This becomes your Out-Come GOAL. The thing(s) you wamt most to achieve.
After you determine your Out-Come GOAL, the most important step is to make a written list of Performance GOALS, drills or routines that if done routinely, will help you reach your Out-Come GOALs. For instance, your GOAL SHEET might look something like this:
My Athletic Out-Come Goal is to be an impact Pitcher for Michigan State University my freshman year in college.
My Performance GOALS to help me achieve my GOAL of Pitching for MSU are as follows:
1. I will condition myself by jogging at least 2 mile a day 5 days a week
2. I will use the interval running principle to increase my stamina and build leg strength and lung capacity when making my 2 mile runs.
3. I will jump rope 5 minutes a day 6 days a week.
4. I will execute form running excercises 20 minutes a day 5 days a week and include carioca, high knees, backwards, high skip, spider crawls, high kicks, side to side shuffles, butt kickers.
5. I will run 10 - 40 yard sprints 3 days a week.
6. I will throw long distance by throwing 25 times from 120 feet every other day while weather permits.
7. I will go through 12 minutes of specific towel drills every other day during the off-season or when weather prohibts me from working outside plus visualize throwing a 50 pitch bull pen using a hand towel.
8. I will work my arms and upper body with rubber tubing exercises 3 times a week. 3 sets of 10 reps each: See Dr. Jobe Program.
9. I will perform 3 sets of 25 push-ups 5 days a week.
10. I will practice fielding my position at least once a week when weather permits or when I have access to a gym or other facility. I will field 25 bunts and throw to 1b, I will field 25 bunts and throw to 2B: I will field 25 come-backers and throw to 2B; I will practice covering 1B on balls hit to 1B side 25 times. I will practice covering 1B on 3-6-1 DP's (25X). I will practice covering home plate on WP/PB 10X.
These are a few examples of drills and excercise you can do to, and need to do, in order to achieve the lofty Out-Come GOAL in this example. You, however, must set your own performance goals, goals that are achievable, ones that you can and are willing to do. No one else can set goals for you. It just won't work. If you're interested in playing at the next level and eventually at the collegiate level, only dedication, desire and determination to prepare will get you there.
Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail,
Coach Bob Harris
One of the best ways to get to where you want to go in your sport, or in life for that matter, is to set GOALS. You must have a plan, a road map on how you will achieve the things you want.
First and most important, what is it that you want to achieve? Is it to make your school's Varsity High School Baseball Team. To be a star pitcher on your summer travel team? To be a stud hitter or an all-star caliber infielder? Maybe your GOAL is to get a scholarship to play at a Division I college? What ever your GOAL, you must first identify it and then write it down. This becomes your Out-Come GOAL. The thing(s) you wamt most to achieve.
After you determine your Out-Come GOAL, the most important step is to make a written list of Performance GOALS, drills or routines that if done routinely, will help you reach your Out-Come GOALs. For instance, your GOAL SHEET might look something like this:
My Athletic Out-Come Goal is to be an impact Pitcher for Michigan State University my freshman year in college.
My Performance GOALS to help me achieve my GOAL of Pitching for MSU are as follows:
1. I will condition myself by jogging at least 2 mile a day 5 days a week
2. I will use the interval running principle to increase my stamina and build leg strength and lung capacity when making my 2 mile runs.
3. I will jump rope 5 minutes a day 6 days a week.
4. I will execute form running excercises 20 minutes a day 5 days a week and include carioca, high knees, backwards, high skip, spider crawls, high kicks, side to side shuffles, butt kickers.
5. I will run 10 - 40 yard sprints 3 days a week.
6. I will throw long distance by throwing 25 times from 120 feet every other day while weather permits.
7. I will go through 12 minutes of specific towel drills every other day during the off-season or when weather prohibts me from working outside plus visualize throwing a 50 pitch bull pen using a hand towel.
8. I will work my arms and upper body with rubber tubing exercises 3 times a week. 3 sets of 10 reps each: See Dr. Jobe Program.
9. I will perform 3 sets of 25 push-ups 5 days a week.
10. I will practice fielding my position at least once a week when weather permits or when I have access to a gym or other facility. I will field 25 bunts and throw to 1b, I will field 25 bunts and throw to 2B: I will field 25 come-backers and throw to 2B; I will practice covering 1B on balls hit to 1B side 25 times. I will practice covering 1B on 3-6-1 DP's (25X). I will practice covering home plate on WP/PB 10X.
These are a few examples of drills and excercise you can do to, and need to do, in order to achieve the lofty Out-Come GOAL in this example. You, however, must set your own performance goals, goals that are achievable, ones that you can and are willing to do. No one else can set goals for you. It just won't work. If you're interested in playing at the next level and eventually at the collegiate level, only dedication, desire and determination to prepare will get you there.
Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail,
Coach Bob Harris
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Sunday, November 16, 2008
It Takes More Than Talent
Former Coach and college recruiter Mike Kostoff , discusses the importance of academics to earn an athletic sch0larship in his new publication: "Win All Four". The following article appeared in the Sunday, November 16th edition of the "Oakland Press.
Sunday, November 16, 2008 12:19 AM ESTBy TYLER CAMERON Special to The Oakland PressFrom a young age, kids are often introduced to sports with passion for competing, winning and being the best of the best.For many, their hearts and dreams are filled with the hope that one day they will receive an athletic scholarship that will pave the way for an education at a great college, and the possibility that they will get the chance to play the game they love professionally.But what if an athlete was denied a college scholarship because they didn’t do well their freshman or senior year of high school, or if their SAT or ACT scores were low, or if they were absent too often?Unfortunately for many high school student-athletes, this is the case for one simple reason: Their transcript wasn’t good enough, according to Mike Kostoff, former high school football coach and college recruiter, and author of “Win All Four,” a four-year guide and workbook for high school athletes aiming for college.“I’ve given seminars at the Michigan Football Camp for the past two years, and I say to them ‘Stand up if you want a scholarship’. Of course almost all of them want a scholarship,” said Kostoff, a teacher at Detroit Country Day Middle School in Beverly Hills.“And so I ask them, ‘What’s the one scholarship that’s guaranteed across the country?’ Of course they don’t have a clue, and I say ‘It’s an academic scholarship.’ If you get a certain GPA, or a certain SAT or ACT score, they will give you an academic scholarship,” Kostoff said.“Why not go for an academic scholarship? That’s a guarantee. You could have the greatest talent in the world and not qualify because of a bad GPA, and there goes your athletic scholarship out the door,” Kostoff added.His message is that the most important thing for a student-athlete looking for an athletic scholarship to do is focus on academics.Unfortunately, most student-athletes and even educators don’t understand how the college recruitment process works, or what the academic and motivational standards are for college recruitment, he said.Kostoff believes it’s his job as an educator to ensure the student-athlete understands how to qualify for college recruitment every step of the way, and that it’s a four-year process, about 740 school days.“There’s a big disconnect between what colleges require and expect, and what high schools think they want, in terms of both the NCAA Clearinghouse and admittance through the admittance office of that college,” Kostoff said.“For example, out of 800 kids, Hope College will let in 15 ‘at risk’ kids. And for high school coaches, they think that ‘at risk’ means a GPA of 2.0 or 2.5, and an 18 on their ACT. What they don’t know is that Hope College defines ‘at risk’ as at least a 2.9 with a 23 on the ACT. And where are those kids going to go with a 2.8? Nowhere,” Kostoff said.Educating students and educators themselves on the college recruitment process is just part of the battle, though.Kostoff said it’s the parents who sacrifice countless time, energy and money driving to out-of-town tournaments, buying new equipment and getting up early on weekends for practice, all in the name of their children’s dreams of playing college sports.Parents then too must understand that academics is the most important thing if they want to see their children fulfill in their athletic dreams. And even if they do succeed, that success comes at a price — the college tuition.“The average scholarship for any athlete in the NCAA is $6,000. If they qualify for a college on the East Coast that’s $35,000 a year, where’s the rest of that money going to come from?” Kostoff said.The transcript is the student-athlete’s resume for college athletics, and will tabulate everything from grades to tardies throughout their high school career, and ultimately will determine if an athlete will be eligible for college recruitment.“If your GPA doesn’t qualify, then you can’t get a scholarship, simple as that. A bad ninth-grade year could cost you that scholarship,” Kostoff said.For more information about Mike Kostoff and his workbook and guide “Win All Four,” visit http://www.totalstudentathlete.com/.
Sunday, November 16, 2008 12:19 AM ESTBy TYLER CAMERON Special to The Oakland PressFrom a young age, kids are often introduced to sports with passion for competing, winning and being the best of the best.For many, their hearts and dreams are filled with the hope that one day they will receive an athletic scholarship that will pave the way for an education at a great college, and the possibility that they will get the chance to play the game they love professionally.But what if an athlete was denied a college scholarship because they didn’t do well their freshman or senior year of high school, or if their SAT or ACT scores were low, or if they were absent too often?Unfortunately for many high school student-athletes, this is the case for one simple reason: Their transcript wasn’t good enough, according to Mike Kostoff, former high school football coach and college recruiter, and author of “Win All Four,” a four-year guide and workbook for high school athletes aiming for college.“I’ve given seminars at the Michigan Football Camp for the past two years, and I say to them ‘Stand up if you want a scholarship’. Of course almost all of them want a scholarship,” said Kostoff, a teacher at Detroit Country Day Middle School in Beverly Hills.“And so I ask them, ‘What’s the one scholarship that’s guaranteed across the country?’ Of course they don’t have a clue, and I say ‘It’s an academic scholarship.’ If you get a certain GPA, or a certain SAT or ACT score, they will give you an academic scholarship,” Kostoff said.“Why not go for an academic scholarship? That’s a guarantee. You could have the greatest talent in the world and not qualify because of a bad GPA, and there goes your athletic scholarship out the door,” Kostoff added.His message is that the most important thing for a student-athlete looking for an athletic scholarship to do is focus on academics.Unfortunately, most student-athletes and even educators don’t understand how the college recruitment process works, or what the academic and motivational standards are for college recruitment, he said.Kostoff believes it’s his job as an educator to ensure the student-athlete understands how to qualify for college recruitment every step of the way, and that it’s a four-year process, about 740 school days.“There’s a big disconnect between what colleges require and expect, and what high schools think they want, in terms of both the NCAA Clearinghouse and admittance through the admittance office of that college,” Kostoff said.“For example, out of 800 kids, Hope College will let in 15 ‘at risk’ kids. And for high school coaches, they think that ‘at risk’ means a GPA of 2.0 or 2.5, and an 18 on their ACT. What they don’t know is that Hope College defines ‘at risk’ as at least a 2.9 with a 23 on the ACT. And where are those kids going to go with a 2.8? Nowhere,” Kostoff said.Educating students and educators themselves on the college recruitment process is just part of the battle, though.Kostoff said it’s the parents who sacrifice countless time, energy and money driving to out-of-town tournaments, buying new equipment and getting up early on weekends for practice, all in the name of their children’s dreams of playing college sports.Parents then too must understand that academics is the most important thing if they want to see their children fulfill in their athletic dreams. And even if they do succeed, that success comes at a price — the college tuition.“The average scholarship for any athlete in the NCAA is $6,000. If they qualify for a college on the East Coast that’s $35,000 a year, where’s the rest of that money going to come from?” Kostoff said.The transcript is the student-athlete’s resume for college athletics, and will tabulate everything from grades to tardies throughout their high school career, and ultimately will determine if an athlete will be eligible for college recruitment.“If your GPA doesn’t qualify, then you can’t get a scholarship, simple as that. A bad ninth-grade year could cost you that scholarship,” Kostoff said.For more information about Mike Kostoff and his workbook and guide “Win All Four,” visit http://www.totalstudentathlete.com/.
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