The Swim Chronicle: Issue #11 - Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Vision: The Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting for Young Swimmers

TLDR: Setting both short-term and long-term goals helps young swimmers stay motivated, focused, and resilient. Short-term goals provide immediate benchmarks that build confidence, while long-term goals help maintain a vision for the future. Involving your child in goal-setting discussions and ensuring goals are realistic yet challenging can help them stay on track and celebrate their progress.

Setting goals is one of the most effective ways for young swimmers to build a sense of purpose, track their progress, and stay motivated throughout their swimming journey. But to truly get the most out of goal setting, it’s essential to understand the difference between short-term and long-term goals—and how both work together to support your child’s development as a swimmer.

The Importance of Short-Term Goals

Short-term goals are like stepping stones that lead toward a bigger destination. They’re achievable within a shorter time frame and provide young swimmers with a sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s shaving a second off their 50-meter freestyle time, perfecting a flip turn, or improving their streamline, short-term goals give swimmers something tangible to focus on in the here and now.

I remember working with a young swimmer who struggled with his butterfly stroke. Instead of focusing on the big picture of swimming an entire race perfectly, we set a series of small, achievable goals—starting with improving his body position, then working on his breathing, and finally focusing on his endurance. Each time he achieved one of these smaller goals, his confidence grew, and eventually, he could swim a strong butterfly race with pride. These small wins kept him motivated and gave him the confidence to tackle more challenging objectives.

Short-term goals are also important because they provide instant feedback. A young swimmer can see the results of their hard work more quickly, which helps maintain motivation. It’s not about setting grand goals all at once but about focusing on the small, actionable steps that bring a young athlete closer to where they want to be.

Long-Term Goals: Setting the Vision

While short-term goals keep swimmers engaged day-to-day, long-term goals provide a vision of where they want to go in their swimming journey. Long-term goals are typically set for a season or even years down the line, like qualifying for a championship meet, moving up to a higher swim group, or mastering all four strokes. These goals help swimmers look ahead and give them something to dream about.

When I was a young swimmer, one of my long-term goals was to qualify for a national-level meet. It felt like a huge, almost unattainable dream at the time. But by breaking it down into smaller goals—improving my endurance, working on my turns, and shaving time off my races—I stayed on track and eventually reached that goal. It was an incredible feeling, not just because of the achievement itself, but because of the journey I took to get there.

Long-term goals help young swimmers develop resilience. They teach them that not everything happens overnight, and that consistent effort is what leads to big achievements. These goals also give meaning to their training—when swimmers understand the "why" behind their efforts, they’re more likely to stay committed, even when practice gets tough.

How to Set Effective Goals Together

Setting goals is a skill that your swimmer can develop with your guidance. Here are some ways to help your child set effective short-term and long-term goals:

• Make Goals Specific and Measurable: Instead of setting a vague goal like "get better at freestyle," try something specific like "improve my 50-meter freestyle time by 2 seconds in the next three months." This makes it easier to track progress and see results.

• Balance Challenge and Realism: Goals should be challenging enough to push your swimmer but still realistic based on their current abilities. If a goal is too easy, it won’t be motivating; if it’s too difficult, it may lead to frustration.

• Break Down Long-Term Goals into Short-Term Steps: Help your child understand how their daily or weekly goals connect to their bigger dreams. If their long-term goal is to qualify for a championship meet, talk about what needs to happen step-by-step to get there—whether it’s improving a specific stroke, increasing their endurance, or focusing on starts and turns.

• Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge every small win along the way. Whether your child meets a short-term goal or simply puts in a strong effort, celebrate it. The journey is just as important as the destination, and recognizing progress helps build a positive mindset.

Teaching Resilience Through Goal Setting

Goal setting isn’t just about swimming faster or achieving milestones; it’s about teaching resilience. There will be times when your child doesn’t reach a goal—perhaps they fall short of a personal best or don’t qualify for the meet they’d been aiming for. These moments can be tough, but they’re also valuable learning opportunities. Talk with your swimmer about what they learned from the experience and how they can adjust their goals moving forward.

I remember missing out on a qualification time by less than a second when I was younger. It was heartbreaking, but my coach encouraged me to focus on what I could control and set a new goal for the next opportunity. That experience taught me that setbacks are part of the process, and it’s how you respond to them that defines your journey.

The Bottom Line

Setting both short-term and long-term goals is an essential part of helping young swimmers develop focus, resilience, and a love for the sport. Short-term goals provide quick wins that boost confidence, while long-term goals keep swimmers motivated and focused on their bigger dreams. By involving your child in the goal-setting process, ensuring their goals are specific and achievable, and teaching them how to respond to setbacks, you can help your swimmer build the skills they need for success in the pool—and beyond. If you’re looking for support in helping your swimmer reach their potential, Coach Danny Yeo offers personalized swim clinics, video analysis, and goal-setting workshops to guide them every step of the way.

• Goal Setting Workshops: Special sessions designed to help young swimmers set both short-term and long-term goals, with the tools they need to achieve them.

• Swim Clinics : Focused sessions to target specific areas of improvement, from starts and turns to building stamina and strength in the water. Till the next one! Coach Danny