Sport performance has taken a great leap over the last 20 years. It is commonly judged by the outcome of a specific game; the measure in this regard being to win a game and ultimately the competition. A number of factors can either facilitate or inhibit sport performance. Emotions may play just as an important role in sport as any other factor such as the physical, psychological, social and spiritual factors related to sport performance. Given the relative dearth in research examining emotions or emotional intelligence in athletic performance, the present article investigates relationships between emotional intelligence capacities and its direct effect on self regulation and mindset. Emotionally intelligent athletes can get themselves into the appropriate emotional states for the demands of the situation. If the situation requires high arousal, emotionally intelligent people are good at getting themselves psyched up. It has been determined that emotional intelligence is essential in both individual and team sports and can be the key factor in an athlete’s functioning within a team setting. In other words, emotional intelligence is a critical factor in determining whether or not an athlete wins and emotional intelligence often ‘makes or breaks’ a team.
