A review of the goal setting literature over the past 20 years showed that although there are established principles for designing effective goal setting programmes, "the art" of goal setting is something that can only be practiced by individual performers or sport psychologists. Furthermore, suggested theories have only focused on the ability to "know that" (theory and qualifications) but not on "know how" (application and competences). PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to outline a goal setting theory that would reflect complex skill learning and the "art" of setting goals. METHOD: Four Danish elite footballers (aged 21 ± 2 yr) participated in a one year intervention study which employed a system theoretical perspective on goal setting. The intervention was based 72 semi-structured conversations and data was collected through digital recordings. RESULTS: The intervention helped the players to focus on skill development rather than performing during practice. Moreover, the players were able to utilise more complex skills and acquired new strategies for learning and performance. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that system goals and feedback can aid players in developing new strategies for learning and managing complex tasks. Thus, a system theory approach can aid practitioners in bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Vinnare i den mycket jæmna tævlingen blev Christian Engell/Carsten Hvid Larsens
uppsats "A system theory perspective on goal setting – An explorative case study with
professional football players", som kommer att presenteras vid SVEBIs årskonferens i Ørebro den
19 november kl 16.00-16.40. Grattis Christian och Carsten och vælkomna till Ørebro!
Tack alla för er medverkan i SVEBIs uppsatstävling.
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