John R. Ellsworth, MA

Master Mental Game Coach

Protex Sports

www.protexsports.com

The vision statement is just that; a statement of the vision? Intention or goal of an organization or individual

athlete. The vision statement is a personal contract with yourself for ethical behavior, performance goals, and

more specifically how you wish to portray yourself to yourself, the team, the college or university you wish to or

are currently playing for. The vision statement represents the guiding principles for which you will commit to as

you strive to achieve the goals you have set for your athletic pursuits this coming year. The vision statement can

vary in length, structure, and content. It can be a paragraph long or simply one or two sentences. The vision

statement can serve to be your daily “mantra” and represents your deepest convictions about how you wish to

be as an athlete. When the chips are down, the vision statement can serve to remind you of the what, when,

where, and why behind your desire to be the best you can be.

A vision statement helps to define the following:

1. Guides daily behavior – analyze person actions, and attitudes.

2. Serves as a reminder of why you are doing what you do.

3. Reduces ambiguity – serves as a decision making tool. This represents your purpose and vision.

4. Facilitates objective decision making – decreases emotional response to decision making by making it

more objective and dispassionate. It keeps the emotions out of the way. When emotional states are in

flux, it helps to put the behavioral response in context. For example, if the vision statement espouses

respect for self, treating self without judgment or discontent, and values skill development and process

thinking over winning, statistics, or end results the overall meaning of the intent becomes more related

to personal values. In the end your vision statement has in the best interest the “team goals”, but

establishes the importance you place on your contribution and how you continue to remain motivated

through adversity.

5. Requires it be in some form associated with the overall team goals (assuming you play for a team). For

example, to win the championship one game at a time by first winning the conference championship one

game at a time.

6. It works because you have a written committed and vested interest in meeting the goals contributing to

your success, the team’s success, and most importantly having balance in life and fun in what you are

doing.

The vision statement is designed to create a vision for the future, be clear about where you are going, covey a

positive sense of purpose, promote shared we well as individual values, and finally it inspires the athlete to

motivate and take action.

Example: Become the most dominant shooting Point Guard on the team, conference, and country and in doing

so contribute to the team’s ultimate goal of a PAC 10 championship first, and the NCAA championship second. I

do this by motivating and empowering myself to contribute to the best of my ability without fear while honoring

the game and adhering to the schools, the conference, and the teams code of conduct.