I posted this on Field Hockey Forum a few days ago. I'm a big believer in goal-setting, mostly because it helps me generate smaller, tangible "to-do" lists, steps that I resolve to accomplish on a particular schedule which will get me to the goal.
Setting goals publicly is a great way to motivate yourself and be held accountable, even if it is a bit scary to exposure your potential failures to others.
In order to set my future goals, it's a good idea to look back on what I've managed to accomplish on the last set. My goals for 2008 were pretty ambitious but I'm happy to say I met several of them.
- have a solid tournament in Argentina (in Jan.) and score high enough to earn a promotion to Grade 1 - I was happy with my performance although I struggled with my knee (due to over-use catching up with me) and thus couldn't umpire on the final day. I don't know where my marks were (we're never told) but the promotion didn't come there.
- if I'm assessed again in a Prem match in England this winter/spring, earn a higher grade than I did last time - I was assessed twice in the spring and although my marks didn't exceed the last mark I'd received in 2007, they were strong marks and I was pleased at my performances. Unexpectedly, I was given a men's National League game in the fall and got on the Men's B Panel - a big deal considering there's only one other woman on a men's panel in England.
- umpire at a men's domestic national championship, U21 or higher, here in Canada this summer - I was appointed to the Senior nationals in Calgary and umpired two games on the men's side of the tournament, and had good feedback from the players and coaches involved (but anyone here in the tournament is welcome to refute that).
- act as an umpires' manager at a domestic national championship, U18 or higher - I was the Senior Umpire (an umpires' manager who also umpired) at both the Senior Nationals (men's and women's) and the U19 Women's tournaments. I should have been careful about what I "goal-set" for, as it was an incredible amount of work!
- help (even in a small way) mentor 3 umpires to their Regional certification and 1 to their Canadian certification - still waiting for confirmation on their levels but I think two got their Canadians, one her Regional.
- see 10 U of C Dino players (my alma mater) achieve Provincial certification- woefully underachieved here!
- conduct at least 3 umpiring seminars - didn't do any at all, but I spent a lot of one-on-one time with upcoming umpires and the Senior Umpire experiences sure made up for that time.
- post at least once every two weeks on an umpiring topic on my blog - Oops.... but I do write extensively on FHF, so I'm going to try to share more posts (like this one) in the future.
- stay injury-free and fit for a full 12 months - after my January mishap in Argentina, I also struggled with overuse issues at the national tournaments in the summer. It prompted me to seriously re-examine my approach and with the advice of several care providers, I devised a new comprehensive plan to treat my osteoarthritis and prevent future flare-ups. The results have been fantastic and I've been able to train hard for the last 5 months of the year and am really pleased with the progress in my fitness and overall health.
- have my Dad see me umpire an international match somewhere - no appointments since Argentina so no chances to meet this goal (Olympic years tend to be slow unless you're umpiring in the Olympics!) so I'll carry this over.
- stay injury-free and take my fitness to the next level - I have the therapeutic plan for my knees, a terrific trainer, and the tools and knowledge to meet this goal. The specifics: drop 5% bodyfat, 10 lbs. and get to level 11 on the beep test. I'm really looking forward to the next 12 months!
- earn promotion to Grade 1 - all I need is one tournament and I know I'll knock their socks off. I've really come a long way in my 3 seasons in England - I've got all kinds of confidence and experience now. Moreover, I know that I've been on the PL for more than long enough - I'm going to be moved either way and I'm ready to rock it like the Jeffersons!
- umpire two more men's National League games in England and, if assessed, earn a higher mark than my assessment grade - the decks are stacked against this one but I've got nowhere higher to go on the women's side, so it's time to create a new challenge for myself
- umpire more games at the men's Senior National tournament this summer
- if I UM another tournament, be more organized and efficient with reports and feedback - last summer was a valuable learning experience in that I managed to make it through the two tournaments, but my approach and organizational skills left a lot to be desired. I need to be a lot less ambitious with what I try to accomplish, and I have a better idea of how I can organize my time so the workload doesn't get too overwhelming.
- help mentor 1 more umpire to their Canadian rating and 2 more to their Regional ratings
- conduct one provincial umpires' course targeting my club (Dinos FHC) members
