Courtside with MTP #11: Motivation & Expectation
- Ben Carnes
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
Dear Coaches,
We’ve arrived at our final Courtside with MTP installment for the year and the final lesson in our Prime 5 series—five essential mental skills every athlete needs to compete at their best. So far, we’ve covered Focus, Confidence, Physical Control, and Optimistic Perfection. This month’s final skill is Motivation & Expectation to Win, and we’re tackling it through one of the most powerful habits in performance psychology: Goal Setting.
🧠 Why Goal Setting Works
In a 2017 talk, neuropsychologist Dr. Steven Curtis explained how the frontal polar cortex—the brain’s vision and planning center—only lights up when we connect with a large, meaningful goal. This part of the brain allows us to imagine big change and pursue it. But it’s also vulnerable.
When fear, stress, or uncertainty creep in, this powerful part of the brain shuts down—and we fall back into habits and comfort zones. That’s why it’s not enough to set a goal. We have to revisit it, remind ourselves, and reignite our motivation over and over again.
📈 The Benefits of Clear Goals
According to research cited by Harvard, goal setting:
Increases motivation, achievement, and clarity
Decreases anxiety, disappointment, and frustration
Turns vision into reality
Helps athletes direct action, organize time, and boost confidence
When athletes create goals that are both big-picture and day-to-day, they train their brains to stay focused and resilient—even when things get hard.
📺 Watch the Video:
This short video teaches athletes the neuroscience behind goal setting and walks them through how to set goals that keep them moving forward.
🎥 Watch Here: https://youtu.be/Pf1uVkdain0
📝 How to Use the Worksheet: Nothing formal, just use a sheet of paper!
Athletes will:
Define long-term goals (what they want to achieve)
Break them into short-term goals (what they need to do daily to get there)
Display their goals somewhere visible (locker, mirror, wall)
Reflect on them multiple times per day
Add action steps to a discipline plan that fuels consistency
This process trains the brain to stay hopeful, focused, and ready to compete with purpose.
💡 Final Thoughts
The most motivated athletes are the ones who have something clear they’re working toward. When that vision is personal, specific, and revisited daily—it creates powerful momentum. Help your athletes build that momentum with intentional goal setting.
Thanks for joining us in the Prime 5 series. Keep training the mental game—and let us know how we can support your team!
Contact Us:
Ben Carnes
Owner, Mental Training Plan
📞 (317) 557-3022
Learn more about our mental training resources at mentaltrainingplan.com
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