Behavior modification is based on the principles of operant conditioning, developed by the American behaviorist BF Skinner. In his research, he placed a rat in a cage later known as the Skinner Box, in which the rat could receive a food pellet by pressing a bar. The food reward acted as reinforcement by reinforcing the rat's bar-pressing behavior. Skinner studied how rat behavior changed in response to different patterns of reinforcement. By studying how rats operated on their environment, Skinner formulated the concept of operant conditioning, through which behavior could be shaped by reinforcement or lack of reinforcement. Skinner saw his discovery as applicable to a wide range of human and animal behaviors (“Behavior,” 2001). Today, behavior modification is used to treat a variety of problems in adults and children. Behavior modification has been used successfully to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, phobias, bedwetting, anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. Behavior modification is not used to treat disorders and problems, it is also used to increase a desired behavior. An example of behavior that many attempt to improve is their athletic abilities, including speed, strength, and endurance (Fedor, 1990). Athletes use various behavior modification techniques to achieve their overall goal. The most used is positive reinforcement, which encourages certain behaviors through a reward system. After rewarding desirable behavior, behavior modification can also discourage undesirable behavior, either through negative reinforcement or punishment. This could be the removal of a privilege or an adverse event. Behavior modification in athletics requires goal development. This requires an overall goal as well as small step goals. Goal setting is one of the most powerful motivational tools. Studies have shown that goals should be broken down into short-term or intermediate goals to help achieve ultimate goals; the objectives must be accepted by the individual; It is better to have ambitious goals than easy goals; tracking progress is helpful for staying committed to goals; and an action plan facilitates the achievement of objectives (Annesi, 2004). With the addition of a written contract binding the athlete to their goals, it acts as another means of accomplishing the desired behavior. Behavior modification, or behavior therapy, trains individuals to replace unwanted behaviors with healthier patterns of behavior..