Emotional Intelligence Flag football was exciting, but I was ecstatic for my first padded practice the summer going into sixth grade. It was my first football practice in full pads and I was so excited, I had only played flag football up until this so this was going to be the best day of my life. I was actually going to play real football, but I never thought that it would teach me one of the most influential lessons that I have ever learned. It was the perfect day for football, mid-seventies with a slight breeze with a beautiful sunset. The weather announced that it was time for football. Practice began with the normal warm-ups and drills, but then everything changed when we jumped right into tackling drills. I was feeling great, butterflies
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I wondered if football was the right sport for me, at the moment I wasn’t sure. A few minutes after getting moved to second string, the sun had sailed past the horizon and it was getting very dark on the field. So, coach ended practice and we all went to our rides home. My ride home was my Papa. He had watched the whole practice and I was sure that I had disappointed him. I was completely wrong. He knew what had happened at practice. He looked at me, sighed, and asked me, “Do you know why you were playing so bad today?” I was sure he was mad at me, I waited for him to start telling me all my mistakes. But that’s not what I got. In a calm and relaxing voice, he told me, “You were playing like that today because of your athletic ability. You played like that today because you let your emotions get the best of you. You got angry and let it control your decision making.” The next practice I came out practiced better ever. Even if I mad mistakes, I did not let them get to me. I put them behind and went on to the next play. After several practices in similar fashion I earned my starting spot back and never looked back. I went on to start all season and became and influential part of the team. All because of a few simple, but important words, from my
I wondered if football was the right sport for me, at the moment I wasn’t sure. A few minutes after getting moved to second string, the sun had sailed past the horizon and it was getting very dark on the field. So, coach ended practice and we all went to our rides home. My ride home was my Papa. He had watched the whole practice and I was sure that I had disappointed him. I was completely wrong. He knew what had happened at practice. He looked at me, sighed, and asked me, “Do you know why you were playing so bad today?” I was sure he was mad at me, I waited for him to start telling me all my mistakes. But that’s not what I got. In a calm and relaxing voice, he told me, “You were playing like that today because of your athletic ability. You played like that today because you let your emotions get the best of you. You got angry and let it control your decision making.” The next practice I came out practiced better ever. Even if I mad mistakes, I did not let them get to me. I put them behind and went on to the next play. After several practices in similar fashion I earned my starting spot back and never looked back. I went on to start all season and became and influential part of the team. All because of a few simple, but important words, from my