Emotional Competences Training

Emotional Competences (EC) refer to how individuals deal with intrapersonal or interpersonal emotional information along five main competences: identification, expression, understanding, regulation, and use of emotions. Previous research postulates that higher levels of EC are associated with better performance in sports. This chapter presents EC training based on the tripartite model. Accordingly, activities targeting the training of the five EC are described in two steps: knowledge and ability, leading to the integration of competences as traits. In the first step, knowledge about the five dimensions is explained and illustrated with examples taken from the sport setting. Activities to translate this knowledge into abilities – this means not only knowing what to do, but also being able to do it – are presented, with different levels of difficulty. The third step is then an integration of knowledge and abilities as part of individuals’ personality, which occurs with repeated practice. The more often knowledge is applied in different situations, the more able the person will be to make an appropriate use of EC, and the more this behaviour will be internalised. The integration of activities into sport training and everyday life is discussed, while a claim is made to encourage testing the effectiveness of EC training programmes in sports.


Emotional Competences (EC) refer to how individuals deal with intrapersonal or interpersonal emotional information along five main competences: identification, expression, understanding, regulation, and use of emotions. This chapter presents EC training based on the tripartite model. Accordingly, activities targeting the training of the five EC are described in two steps: knowledge and ability, leading to the integration of competences as traits. The expression of emotions involves being able to communicate emotions through a socially acceptable means. Both the intrapersonal and interpersonal emotions play an important role for sport performance. EC skill acquisition can be explained using the tripartite model, which requires three steps for learning: Knowledge, Ability and Trait. Emotion regulation involves the balance and influence on stress and emotions when they are inappropriate in a given context. The use of emotions requires the ability to reflect, make decisions, and take action based on emotional information.