Why Setting Process Goals Makes You a Better Coach — And How to Do It

Winning the big game, taking a state title, or finishing top 10 at nationals—these outcome goals are exciting to set with your team.

But because they often take months to achieve and are influenced by factors beyond your control, focusing only on outcome goals can leave your team unmotivated when things get tough. That’s where process goals come in.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kevin Chapman, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder of The Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, explains what process goals are and how they can help your team stay focused, motivated, and on track toward achieving those big goals.

What exactly are process goals?

“Process goals are sport-specific instructions and habits related to competing as an athlete that lead to positive outcomes,” says Chapman. In other words, process goals break down the big dream—like winning a championship—into the smaller, daily actions and skills that make that dream possible.

“Process leads to outcome,” Chapman explains. “In order for your team to achieve those outcome goals you’ve set, like winning state championships or hitting a certain batting average, you’re going to need process goals that break down the targets that will make those big goals possible.”

Chapman identifies four main types of process goals to work on with athletes:

• Tactical or strategic: Define and practice overall strategies or tactics your athletes will use in competition.
• Mechanical or technical: Focus on improving specific techniques, such as batting stance, shooting form, or passing mechanics.
• Mental: Develop habits around self-talk, emotional regulation, breathing, imagery, and other mindset skills.
• Physical: Build physical capacity through measurable targets, like strength training three times a week or improving sleep and nutrition habits.

Athletes should have several process goals, with each tied to the bigger outcomes they want to reach. When executed well, these smaller goals add up to meaningful performance improvement.

Why process goals matter for coaches

Process goals aren’t just beneficial for athletes—they help coaches measure progress more effectively.

“You can't gauge how good an athlete is by how well they play in any one game,” says Chapman. “To me, you can only actually gauge a good athlete by the process goals that they set and accomplish.”

This perspective is especially useful when working with youth athletes. Because they develop at different rates, results may not always reflect effort or potential. One athlete might suddenly grow six inches and start winning races easily, while another—who’s been diligently sticking to their process goals—might still be waiting for that growth spurt. But when that happens, the work they’ve done will pay off in a big way.