EMOTIONAL CONTROL IN SPORTS

Emotions are real. But you don’t have to let them control your performance.

Training emotional control:

• Label the emotion ("I’m frustrated" vs. acting on it)

• Breathe through it (box breathing, 6-2-8 breathing)

• Redirect focus to task-specific cues ("eyes up," "move feet")

Help athletes understand that emotional awareness is strength, not weakness. Training this regularly improves performance and resilience.