If you’re smart—and I know you are—you’re going to set sports career goals for 2012. But before you do, read this first:

The key to achieving your sports career goals is to know exactly where you want to go and how you plan to get there.

Generic goals such as, “I want to work in sports” is too broad. It doesn’t mean anything. Even when you narrow your goal to something more specific such as, “My goal is to work in sports marketing” — that’s still too vague.

The two most crucial areas of concentration for achieving sports career goals are the “Where” and the “How.” Where do you want to go? How do you plan to get there? Below are two ways that will help you answer those questions.

1. Crystalize Your Vision

Brian Tracy, the world-renowned expert on goal-setting says, “You can’t hit your target if you can’t see what you’re aiming for.” In other words, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wander aimlessly and never reach your ideal destination.

When you have a clear vision of what you want to do with your sports career goals, you’ll have a major advantage over your competitors. If there’s one thing employers love, it’s a job candidate who knows exactly where they’re heading.

Having a good vision of your career includes having the ability to articulate the value you can bring to an organization. This is what employers care about. Focus on it. Think it through. Take your time.

2. Plan Your Work

Setting career goals and having a crystal clear vision of where you want to go is extremely powerful. But that’s only the beginning.

There’s an old adage that says, “Plan your work, and work your plan.” Your goals have a better chance of getting accomplished when you put together a solid plan behind it.

Imagine if the Green Bay Packers didn’t have a plan in place to achieve their goal of winning back-to-back Super Bowls … that would be foolish! Same goes for you. Winning your first job in sports is your Super Bowl. Plan accordingly.

To drive home how important having a game plan is, I’ll leave you with another old adage: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Chris’ Keys to Sports Career Goals

Write down your goals and a written plan to achieve them. Establish a time and a place to work on your plan on a regular basis. Your plan should include answers to these questions:

• What am I great at (or want to become great at)?
• Who are the leading executives in that field?
• What type of companies hire for that position?
• How do I get my foot in the door?
• How do I convince them to make me a job offer?

Have you set your sports career goals for 2012 yet?  Let us know what they are in the comments below and please feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook & Twitter

About Chris McKinney

Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.

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We hear it in sports business all the time. Passion. It seems to go hand in hand with sports and it’s paralleled in business.  You see it on resumes and ad campaigns.  Dictionary.com defines passion as a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire; and though it’s a noun to be effective in your career it must be more of an adverb.  And by that I mean, it has to have action!

Everyone I know has a passion for something.  However, it is a lot easier to say than to perform.  I tend to believe passion is something to be seen and not heard.  Think of people you know who have a great passion for what they do, I’m guessing they don’t walk around talking about it much.  I try to surround myself with people who live a passion, and don’t just preach one.  It is much easier to learn from those who live a passion.  The details and what helped them achieve their successes will be prevalent.

As sports careers go, as in life, the roller coaster goes up and down.  At times I find people, me included, need to be analytical of what their passions are and what they have evolved into.  Having a better sense of your personal passions will lead to better communication, better time management and better opportunities.   As career paths change and new challenges arise, don’t loose focus of your core passions.  If they are true to you and the organization, these challenges will fall by the wayside.  Passion has no ceiling, and those who display it will be noticed, those who talk about it, probably won’t be.

Once your passions are defined, make a plan on how to set your path of passion on fire. True passions are near the very core of who we are, and when inspired those they can lead you to exceed expectations of yourself and your organization.  In your plan, make mental check points that keep you on track.  It is when you tap into your core energy and really know what your passions are, that you can live it and be known for it.  It is hard to convey passion by simply placing it on a resume.

A former teammate of mine had a saying that we used as our defensive motto in college. I feel it applies to passion for what we do as well.  “Don’t talk about it, be about it!”

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About Tyler Johnson

Tyler Johnson is an innovative thinker inspired by the likes of Bill Veeck, Jon Spoelstra, Pat Williams & Brooks Boyer. Currently working for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment as a Group Sales Account Executive for the Denver Nuggets. Prior he worked as the New Business Development Executive with the Chicago White Sox. Tyler has also worked directly with the inventor and creator of Arena football and also for Mike Ditka’s former Chicago AFL franchise. As a former collegiate athlete and business sensed individual Tyler ventured to combine his passions to get into the business side of sports.

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