As the saying goes, sports are "not just a game." Cliche? Yes. But wrong? Nope.

For many, it's due to the fact that our sport is "not just a game": we get so emotionally invested in it. Bad calls by referees or mistakes by teammates or ourselves can onset fits of annoyance and even rage, as it often appears at the professional levels. But many may wonder why or how we can let ourselves fall into an apparent downward spiral on the court or field, over a simple game.

Emotional outbreaks can be side effect of caring immensely about a sport that you've worked hard for. Very hard for. Raw emotion can get the best of athletes. But after countless training camps, bruises, sprained ankles, drops of blood, turf burns and hours of practice, can you blame us?

Seventeen years later, I'm privileged to say that I'm still playing soccer. Every fall, I've been able to dread and look forward to heading into a preseason, although it seems impossible to do both. Every fall, I've exerted all of my energy to "survive" a preseason. Hill sprints, timed miles, intervals, and three hundreds included. For that time period, it feels like you're giving absolutely everything you have to the game--instilling the feeling of a deep-rooted commitment to the game. That commitment extends through the rest of the season, and the urge to succeed grows with every practice. How can you not get emotionally attached to such a large part of your life?

So, sometimes, when plays go wrong or easy shots on goal are missed, we crack a bit. It's the work we put in to getting better at our sport that drives our emotions regarding it. However it is important that we remember to immediately brush it off, or else the next play will be affected. Don't let being upset control how your experience of the game goes, or how your teammates feel about you. It's okay to be emotional, as long as you keep it under control. Some athletes need to remember that last part.

It gets easier to control your emotions as your athletic career gets closer and closer to the end. Because it's so limited, my time on the field is more precious than ever and I won't dare waste another minute steaming about a missed call or bad first touch. I don't want to feel anything but pure joy and the thrill of competition when I play this upcoming season. I've always experienced these feelings when I've played in the past, and they are unparalleled. But never again should I allow the negative emotions that come with playing soccer to overshadow the great ones. Now, I realize that mistakes are going to happen even when you're trying hard, and especially when you're pushing your limits. It's how you react and learn from those mistakes that really matters.