Why Goals Matter for Kids: From Scallops to Lumpsuckers

I remember how proud I felt the day my young swimmer advanced from Scallop to Guppie. As I watched her strong, self-assured doggy paddle, I imagined Olympic gold. Possibly a parade.

The next few months were intoxicating. She rocketed through the preschool ranks—Cuttlefish, Mackerel—and eventually reached the pinnacle of aquatic achievement: Lumpsucker. We were living the dream!

And then… things stalled.

Grade school arrived, and suddenly there were no more adorable titles or shiny promotions. Just weekly swim practices.

Swim meets.

Practice, again?

What was this cesspool of goal-lessness?

Let’s Talk About Goals

Let's talk about goals. Not the cute titles kind. The real ones. The kind that survive missing dance shoes, forgotten hair-ties, and the crazy Tuesday night dance schedule. Because "do your best" is lovely but it's not exactly a plan - and "I want to do better" is sweet but a bit vague.

That’s where goals come in.

Goal-setting is taking that heartfelt wish to “get better” and giving it focus and form.

At Epic, our younger students work on classroom goals, while our preteen and teen dancers learn how to set personal S.M.A.R.T. goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.

So instead of:

• “I want to do better turns,” we hear“I will complete a controlled double turn in three months.”

• “I want to be more flexible,” becomes“I will have my splits in ten weeks,” or“I will battement over my head by the end of May.”

• “I want to be more confident,” becomes “This semester, I will stay present when I mess up and try even when I’m scared.”

Process Over Podiums

Improvement is not magical —it’s built through repetition, patience, and showing up with intention each week. Setting goals, helps our kids learn

• how to break big dreams into manageable steps

• how to measure growth without comparison

• how to work consistently without burning out

• how to fail, adjust, and try again

Dance goals are rarely met quickly, nor with fun titles and trophies. But they build humans who can handle difficult things—with persistence, resilience, and courage.

And honestly? As any Lumpsucker will tell you, that’s better than any ribbon.

Pacific Lumpsucker living the dream.