Creating a Game Plan for Life

By Kelly O'Brien, NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport, Springfield College

The NFL/NFF Coaching Academy has designed a goal setting technique called the Power 4W. It provides coaches with the strategies and information they need to become better coaches. However, as a student athlete you can also use this program to become an MVP in the classroom, at work, at home, and in the community. The Power 4W consists of these important elements:

The first step, Wishpower, requires you to think about what you would like your life to be like in the future. Where would you like to be five or ten years from now? Would you like to be in college? Would you like to be a doctor, business executive, actor, or professional athlete? Would you like to have a family? This vision of the future must be your ideal, not what you would settle for. Think big and don't be afraid to dream!

Now that you have thought about how you would like your future to be, you need to set the proper goals that will get you there. This step is called Wantpower. Goals are very important because they keep you motivated, give you direction, and give you a sense of pride and accomplishment once you achieve them. Keep your goals specific, positive, and include both short and long term goals. Remember, set goals for the things you WANT to do, not for the things that you do not want to do. (For more information, please see the article "Effective Goal Setting.")

Once you have set your goals, it is important to design a strategy or game plan in order to achieve them. In the Waypower stage, it is helpful to complete a goal ladder. This will allow you to climb toward your ultimate goal one step at a time and will also make your progress visible. For example, if you wish to attend a Division I university, then you might want to consider these six ways of achieving that goal:

Of course, setting goals is much easier than actually achieving them. Roadblocks, which are obstacles that can keep you from attaining your goals, can arise at any time. You have to be prepared with an effective defensive plan. If you have the Willpower to over come these roadblocks, you will be on your way to your ideal future. One important step in tackling these blocks, is to become a STAR decision maker.

When a problem arises, stop and take a deep breath, go for a walk, or spend some time at the gym. Try to clear your mind so that you can put the situation in perspective. This will then allow you to think of all the choices that you have. Which choices will lead you to the right decision and which options will lead you to a bad decision. It also helps to anticipate the consequences of each choice. How will your choices help or hinder you as you try to reach your goal. Finally, respond to the situation with the best choice you can make, the one that will get you one step closer to your ideal future.

This information was taken from the NFL/NFF Coaching Academy program that was designed under the leadership of Dr. Dan Gould at the University of North Carolina Greensboro and Dr. Steve Danish at Virginia Commonwealth University. The program is designed to further educate youth and high school coaches in not only the areas of football skills and strategy but also the game's character building and social benefits.

Whether it's a strategy for keeping a team academically eligible, the development of a life skills curriculum for a coaching clinic, or the latest research on sports in society, the NFF Center for Youth Development through Sport at Springfield College in Massachusetts has the answers. While supporting Play It Smart remains the primary focus of the staff's attention, the NFF Center is quickly becoming a source of information on using sport to develop the qualities of leadership and academic excellence in America's young people.

For more information about the NFF Center, click here.