Emotional Intelligence

Being an athlete means winning some, losing some, getting injured, being pushed mentally and physically. In order for us to handle tough situations, perform at our best in the clutch moments, and work well with others we have to have some capacity of emotional intelligence. What is this you ask? Emotional intelligence simply put is the ability to identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of others.

When you miss the shot what happens? What do you do, say, and think? When your teammate makes an error how does that affect you? What’s your body language like, do you comfort them, correct them, or say nothing at all? Are you blaming others or making excuses? How do you handle stress and expectations?

Self-Awareness

What do you struggle with? Are you able to admit faults, and accept you are not perfect? Being able to identify errors in your sport, your thinking, and your actions are key in building self-awareness. We have to be able to identify what is going right and what is going wrong to change and grow.

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is the ability to control your emotions. The first step is being aware of your emotions and the next step is being able to control them. Staying calm and in control of you when things get tough is sometimes the only thing we have. If we lose the ability to control our emotions our physical ability soon will follow.

Athletes that can self-regulate typically don’t allow themselves to become too angry or upset, and they don’t make rash or careless decisions. They are able to assess the situation, their feelings, and think before they act.
If you are wanting to work on becoming a mentally tough athlete start by self-assessing and self-regulating. The way you think, the way you behave, and the way you feel has a direct influence on your game. There are millions of talented athletes that get beat and get beat because they have gotten in their own way.

“What separates the good from the great comes down to how you let your mind and emotions either enhance or disrupt your physical ability.”

Cort