KS3 · Physical education · Year 9

Setting goals for training

Athletics: fitness development of pace or power

Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.

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Your learning goal

I can set SMART goals to improve my athletic performance.

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Setting goals for training: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.

What you’ll learn

I can set SMART goals to improve my athletic performance.

Key learning points

Move: performing at our very best when running requires applying the correct technique consistently.
Think: tweaking technique before training to achieve a goal gives you a better chance of making progress.
Think: understanding a realistic level of improvement helps you set a SMART goal that is achievable and relevant to you.
Feel: reflecting on what you could improve helps you feel more in control of your development.
Connect: giving focused feedback on technique and discussing your SMART goal helps you support each other’s progress.

Words to know

SMART goal/target: a clear goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound
improvement: making gradual progress in fitness or performance
technique: how well a movement is performed, including posture, rhythm and coordination

Common mistakes

Pupils often struggle with setting a realistic goal for themselves, often have plans that are too ambitious for the time available or opportunity to train towards it.

Pupils should be aware that progress over several weeks can be marginal and that fitness gains take time and consistency. They can use the resources provided to help set realistic goals.

For parents, carers and teachers

Beware that the acronym SMART can vary in different sources. For example, in GCSE PE, the “R” in SMART can represent different things depending on the exam board (OCR = recorded, Pearson = relevant). For this unit, SMART refers to Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.