After an incident on the soccer field, Raghav Popuri learned the value of regulating his emotions.
It is no secret that teenagers go through a range of emotions that bring out strong and impulsive reactions that sometimes are not in their best interest. I learned this the hard way after a recent incident on the soccer field.
It was a sunny Saturday morning and I was playing in a league game for my soccer team. Throughout the game, the opposing team had been making rough tackles and trash talking. Unfazed, our team pulled through with a 2-goal lead by halftime. Around 10 minutes into the second half, I scored. I proceeded to taunt the other team for not scoring any goals. Unfortunately, the referee saw the taunt and gave me a yellow card. I was confused about the decision, but didn’t care. The rest of the game went on without many fouls until about 5 minutes before the final whistle, when I was the target of a sliding tackle.
As I attempted to get back up, the opposing team’s player hovered over and needled me about being weak. I was infuriated. Driven by the impulse, I shoved the other player. The referee saw this and pulled out the dreaded red card, ejecting me from the rest of the game and suspending me for the next game.
At practice later that week, my coach warned me about my reckless behavior and the consequences. Knowing that I was of no use to my team in the next game deeply hurt me. I knew that I had to work on regulating my emotions diligently — not only on the soccer field, but also in school and daily life in general. To keep my emotions in check, I consciously talk to myself and name the emotion that I am feeling. Next, I remind myself of the red card and the fact that a knee jerk reaction is not worth the fallout. Lastly, I inhale and exhale for 10 seconds.
With a busy school and extracurricular schedule, the next frustration might come at any moment. But I know I will be prepared.