Home
Blog
Tips

Student-Athlete Success Starts with SMART Goals

Ben Carcio
January 12, 2025
5 min read

Whether you’re building on last season’s progress or hitting reset, clear goals are the key to success. Without them, the recruiting process, academics, and athletic performance can feel overwhelming—like you’re stuck in neutral.

Here’s the good news: By setting SMART goals, you can stay organized, track your progress, and take control of your recruiting journey—all with tools like Sendcoach to simplify your email outreach and communication with college coaches. I've used SMART goals to help keep my company focused, and I believe this can help align parents and student-athletes.

What Are SMART Goals?

SMART goals help you turn ambitions into achievable steps:

  • Specific: Who, what, when, where, and why.‍
  • Measurable: How will you track your progress?
  • Achievable: Are your goals realistic and actionable?
  • Relevant: Will this goal help your athletic and academic journey right now?
  • Time-bound: How will you know when you’ve succeeded?

When you set SMART goals and stay on top of your outreach using Sendcoach, the sky’s the limit!

Your 4-Step Game Plan for SMART Goals

Ready to take action? Follow these four simple steps:

1. Clarify Your Big Picture

What’s your ultimate goal—playing at the college level? Earning an academic scholarship? Building leadership skills? Break down both short-term and long-term ambitions.

2. List Your Key Milestones

Think of the steps you’ll need to take to reach your goal. This could include improving your stats, reaching out to five college coaches, attending camps, or raising your GPA. Write it all down—no need to hold back!

3. Prioritize and Focus

Narrow your list to a few concrete goals that align with your big-picture objectives. Ask yourself:

  • Is this realistic?
  • How will I track my progress?

4. Define What Success Looks Like

Choose how you’ll measure your success. Whether it’s making the starting lineup, sending 10 personalized emails to coaches using Sendcoach, or earning a specific SAT/ACT score, make sure your goals reflect what’s most important to you.

Stay Organized and Confident with Sendcoach

Recruiting involves managing your schedule, crafting standout emails, and following up consistently. Sendcoach makes it easy to:

  • Track your email outreach to college coaches.
  • Personalize your communication in a way that feels genuine.
  • Stay organized with reminders, drafts, and updates—all in one place.

With Sendcoach, you can stay on top of your goals while making meaningful connections.

Why SMART Goals Work

  • People who write down their goals are up to 20% more likely to achieve them
  • Those who break down their goals into action steps and monitor their progress reach their goals 40% more often.

Start Strong Today

Whether you’re striving for a personal best, making a highlight reel, or emailing your top-choice schools, SMART goals—and tools like Sendcoach—can make all the difference.

Take control of your recruiting journey and get one step closer to your dreams.

Need help getting started? Let’s make it happen!

Join Our Newsletter

Get recruiting tips and advice delivered right to your inbox.

By clicking Sign Up you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Commentary
How Involved Should Parents Be in the College Sports Recruitment Process?

Parents should support their student-athlete’s recruitment journey by providing guidance and tools like Sendcoach, but the outreach must come directly from the athlete.

Tips
Think of Coach Emails Like Drips

Break down communication into small, consistent updates to build trust and ensure your key message resonates over time.

Tips
Avoiding “Happy Ears” in Recruitment

When you’re reaching out to coaches, it’s easy to get caught up in “happy ears”—assuming a positive response means you’re close to an offer.