Hi everyone,

As you might know I am a 20yo aussie male from Sydney Autralia, and as you might of seen my previous post on cricket, I am a huge cricket fan, I would die for the game. Now where I am at the moment is that I'm playing 2nd grade for my local club, and ideally would like to play 1st grade and then go on to play representative cricket for my district, state etc. I'm a bowler so I think its a lot harder to be recognised, not having the ideal 'fast bowler' build. But I'm 100% dedicated to working to achieve my goals.

I'm sure we have all been in this sort of position with the sports we are passionate about. My question is, do you think its better to set these long term goals? Or take it one day at a time?

Would appreciate feedback

thanks

I am a crazy keen golfer...only thing that stops me playing is a lack of money.

In respect to goals you need both long and short term goals. Short term would focus mainly on technique and fitness...long term is more what you hope to achieve (in your case playing for N.S.W. etc)

I feel the short term goals have to be things you have total control over. Don't aim to take 5 wickets in a certain match, because no matter how well you bowl the batsmen control that. Aim to bowl say 11 balls out of 12 on or outside off stump....or aim to make sure you don't fall off the delivery stride...etc.

I hope you understand what I am saying and that it helps

I play tennis, I usually set my short term goals by either learning/perfecting a new stroke, or most likely, by aiming someone that plays better that me as my target, it doesn't have to be so I win, but rather say that in this game I will take at least 3 sets of him or something. I usually don't set a long term goal except being the best I can. Since most long term goals are dependent on others in these kind of sports (being first on my club league for example, is a nice goal, but it always depends on the others)

The reason I'm asking is because you would look at me and you wouldnt think I'm a fast bowler, like if you have seen my pictures on other posts, Im not really built for it. I'm short and stocky, and you see the great fast bowlers are tall, long arms etc.

So I guess, with me aiming to be competitvely quick and accurate bowler, these goals I have, are they being realistic?

I'm going to use a quote from one of my most motivational places (www.animalpak.com) where he says":

"I am living proof that one motivated individual can become whatever he sees himself to be."

You agree? Or am i living in dreamland?

You will never know unless you give it a go. Look at say Darren Gough, not a great fast bowler build height wise. A strong chest is a massive asset though.

If you think you are dreaming you probably are, if you think you can make the goals then you just may.

Stop questioning yourself and do whatever it takes, you said you would die for the game so porve it (not literally). Work harder in the nets than anyone else, work on fitness so if the captain wants you to bowl another over at the end of a long day you can still focus, at home get in front of a mirror and check your body position through delivery to get it right.

Basically if you want it, go after it. if you come up short who cares, at least you will have got closer than if you said "No one thinks I look like a bowler so I can't be" and gave up. Screw public perception.

Remember what the public said about leg spin before warney came along...hasn't that changed.

Good luck

So I guess, with me aiming to be competitvely quick and accurate bowler, these goals I have, are they being realistic?



Only you will know for sure. One thing that is certain in my mind is that at the highest levels of most sports today genetics plays a huge role. Often, though it is not the obvious physical differences. For instance there are short backetball players, but height isn't the only genetic factor involved in being an NBA player. Plenty of tall people can't play basketball very well.

So, if you're asking 'can I be the best fast bowler in the world', chances are no, however hard you try. (Of course you could have the 1 in a billion genetic makeup necessary that along with hard work, would put you in that position).

Having said that, my beleif is that the other side of the coin is that the genetic ability of most people in most sports is actually quite a high level, and nearly everyone falls short of their genetic potential buy quite a long ways. This means that if you work hard enough to get close to your potential, you will most likely be better that most other people (assuming your potential is average or above average).

I'm not sure whether this make sence in such a short description, or whether it is comforting or not - it depends on how you look at it.

It is of course just an opinion, based on reading and some personal experience and observations.

On the other subject, I would absolutely have long term goals. Otherwise your short term goals will be unstructured and will not be directed to what you ultimately want to achieve. I suspect you already have them in your head, but it might be good to think about them some more. Even telling people you can confide in makes the goal 'real' and can be quite powerful.
Also, I don't think it matters so much if the long term goals are a bit unrealistic, as long as they lead to down the 'correct' path. Only if they lead you off a path and into a dead end would I be worried about how realistic the goal is. Better to shoot for something a bit beyond your capabilities than settle for something short.

There are books and books on this subject and plenty of people making a living out of it. I could go on all day, but goal setting is as important as training, eating, mental trainging etc..