Examining performance changes using multiple goal setting with a focus on the SMART principle

Mental training is an integral component of physical preparation, and goal setting is among the most widely applied mental techniques in sport. The present study investigated functional changes in soccer passing performance using multiple and separate goal-setting strategies, based on the SMART principle. Fifty male participants (Mage = 23.12, SD = 2.40 years; age range = 18-28), with no prior experience in organized soccer training, volunteered for the study. A semi-experimental (quasi-experimental) pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed. Participants were systematically assigned to one of five groups: multiple goal setting, process, performance, outcome, or control. Each training session consisted of soccer passing practice combined with goal setting tasks. Following a pretest, participants completed 15 training sessions; an acquisition test was administered immediately after training, followed by retention and transfer tests 72 h later. The results revealed significant improvements across groups in the acquisition phase, though no significant between-group differences were observed. In contrast, significant effects emerged in the retention phase, F(4, 45) = 5.56, p < .001, η² = 0.33, and in the transfer phase, F(4, 45) = 8.18, p < .001, η² = 0.42. All goal-setting intervention groups outperformed the control group, with the multiple goal-setting group achieving the highest performance scores. In conclusion, the application of goal-setting strategies based on the SMART principle enhanced long-term retention and transfer of soccer passing skills, with multiple goal setting showing advantages over other approaches. Findings suggest that coaches and sport psychologists would benefit from integrating multiple goal-setting strategies into training protocols.