When I meet with athletes for the first time, especially those who haven't played at the higher levels yet, nine times out of ten, their goal is to be a collegiate athlete or pro. Many times, specifically a Division 1 athlete.

Big dreams and goals are great. But when talking about the division 1 level, here are a few stats. For college baseball, 2.3% of all high school players play D1. For basketball, .9% of males and 1.2% of females play D1. For soccer, .9% of males and 2.4% of females play D1.

You get the point. If you are a division 1 athlete, you are in an elite category. And according to statistics, in most major sports, if you play ANY division, you are still in the top 10%.

This is where I bring up the difference between having standards and goals. Author Ed Mylet writes, "Standards are the actions linked to the thoughts you have related to your goals. Creating goals without creating corresponding standards is a waste of time."

Your goals will always be a by-product of the results of your standards. They give you something you can control, make habitual, and drive your discipline.

What might some of these standards look like? In a post called "I'd Give Anything," I wrote a few years ago, I laid out what these might look like for a basketball player.

-You are in the gym on Saturday nights while all your friends are going out

-You have to get up at 5:30 AM to workout before school

-You stay at least 30 minutes after practice to work on skills you need to improve on

-You watch and study your sport (entire games) while others digest the highlight clips

-You maximize your talent through extra skill training and dedicate yourself to the weight room

-Every drill in practice you compete, take seriously and work harder than anyone else

-You eat breakfast every day, pack snacks, and take your nutrition seriously

-You get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, so you have the energy to repeat your disciplines day after day

-You don't do things to jeopardize or harm your body. No drinking, no drugs

-You attempt to win every conditioning drill in practice

-School comes first; you get good grades

Everyone's standards are different. But, the examples I laid out above are the minimum to give yourself a chance to be in the top 1-10 percent.

And even if you do every one of these things, it still doesn't guarantee your goals. But without standards, your goals will likely fall short even if you are the most talented player.