goals are necessary to prevent injury

Strength, conditioning and skill are components of all physical training programs and setting goals determines which of these three categories will be emphasized.  Your goals should be as specific as possible so your coach can design a program that helps you reach your objective while minimizing the risk of injury. 
I like martinis and I also like cranberry juice but I don't like to mix the two (a Cape Cod).  A martini is made with either gin or vodka with a touch of vermouth.  It is incorrect to call either of these spirits a martini when mixed with anything else, such as cranberry juice, and poured into a martini glass.  The same should be true for your workouts.  If you are performing strength training exercises with >75% of your maximum load at a rapid pace you have crossed the line into the realm of confusing strength training with conditioning which will likely result in injury.  If you want to become a better tennis player practice your  backhand repeatedly and hire a good tennis coach but don't try to replicate the movement with a dumb bell - studies show that this is not effective.  Mastering specific movements required for a sport should not entail weights (unless you are an Olympic or power lifter) nor should these movements be approximated.  The action should be pure and closely observed.  For conditioning, a lighter weight and more repetitions should be used than in strength training.  When used in combination all three of these modalities make you healthier, stronger and increase your cardiovascular endurance.  We all recognize this activity as cross-training.  The challenge lies in knowing the difference between the three subsets and modifying your routine when the lines between the three have blurred.      

Exercise, fitness, strength and nonsense

For several years I have read the blogs of fitness professionals who offer little constructive advice but give plenty of negative and self serving opinions.  What I find most irritating about these posts is the use of scientific data when it supports the writer's premise and its ellipsis when it does not.  According to the authors of many exercise articles all elements of fitness modalities should be viewed with suspicion and scorn except for theirs.  Aerobics and circuit training are sneered at because they are yesterday's approaches to health and wellness and they have been replaced with extreme "functional" movement regimens which will eventually fall out of fashion due to their inherent weaknesses.  The fitness industry is much like Greek drama - since 500 B. C. we have seen the same plots and themes rehashed for generations.  People, their bodies and their tastes haven't changed much over the years because we are primates who are concerned with our status in society.  Whether our goal is strength, health or fitness the emphasis should be on personal development that is established by the client and supported by science.  A practitioner should focus on what she enjoys doing not what others tell her she should look like or how much she should lift.  And genetics matters.  If you are five feet five tall chances are that no amount of practice and focus will land you a contract in the NBA, so it stands to reason that if you have a congenital defect or disease that significantly impacts your performance outcomes it is not an excuse it is a fact.  For those who are fortunate enough to engage in an exercise program without these challenges you should celebrate your good fortune and keep your uninformed opinions about attitude overcoming all to yourself and remember what sets you apart from the former group is luck and nothing more.