We talk a lot about mental skills in sports — focus, composure, confidence — but one that's often overlooked is emotional intelligence: the ability to recognize, understand, and express what you're feeling.

 

 

When athletes (and coaches and parents!) can identify what's happening inside, they can respond instead of react. They make clearer decisions, recover faster from mistakes, and build stronger trust with their teammates and coaches.

 

Over the last five years, multiple published articles suggest that young kids who can identify and express what they’re feeling — and parents who model that openness and emotional awareness — tend to experience greater psychological well-being and better educational outcomes.

 

It’s not just about telling kids to “use their words” — as one recent article puts it: “They need a word to associate with a feeling so they can use their words to express rather than react.”

 

Putting words to what you are feeling is the first step in emotional regulation.

 

 

When we give emotions language, we give them shape. It helps us understand, process, and ultimately manage what's happening inside.

 

One tool that helps and has become a favorite is the Invisible Things Feelings Flash Cards — a simple deck that helps kids visualize emotions and learn the language of their inner world.

 

 

It's incredible how much freedom, and empathy in return, can come from being able to say, “I feel anxious,” instead of acting out that anxiety in some other way.

 

Now, bring that same concept into sports.

 

Imagine an athlete who doesn't yet have that vocabulary. They fake an illness or milk an injury — not because they don't care, but because they're nervous about starting in front of a big crowd on Friday and don't know how to name or navigate that feeling.

 

Now, imagine that same athlete saying:

 

That single moment of honesty changes everything. It opens the door for support, confidence, and trust — the kind of environment where growth and composure can thrive.

 

And this applies just as much to coaches and parents. Learning to use emotional language shines light on what's often unseen. It helps us regulate our own emotions when we feel distressed or upset or nervous or...

 

It's not rocket science — it's emotional intelligence. And it can transform a team, a culture, and the trust that holds both together.

okay, and now:

HUDDLE

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and express what you’re feeling.

 

When you can name what’s happening inside, you can respond instead of react — and that changes everything.

 

Coach calls out a list of emotions:

 

Ask everyone to pick one that matches how they feel right now — or add their own.

 

Then ask:

“What happens when we actually name what we’re feeling?”

“How could doing this before a game or after a mistake help you reset?”

 

Keep it short. Real answers, no judgment.

 

When you can name it, you can navigate it.

 

Start each practice or game by naming one emotion you feel.
Awareness is the first step toward control.

 

Little by little, greatness grows.