Emotion Playbook

caralyn

Tier 3

Lesson Plan

Soccer Emotions Playbook

Using soccer-themed tools, the student will identify and label emotions, explore bodily and mental reactions, and practice both positive and negative coping skills to build self-awareness and self-regulation habits.

Emotional literacy and coping skills are critical for mental health. Framing the lesson around soccer leverages the student’s interest to increase engagement and real-life application.

Audience

3rd Grade Individual Therapy

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Soccer analogies with hands-on charts and playbook activities

Materials

Printable Soccer Field Template, Soccer Emotions Chart, Coping Skills Playbook Handout, and Digital Whiteboard or Drawing Tool

Prep

Prepare Materials and Review

10 minutes

Print copies of the Printable Soccer Field Template for drawing activities
Print or upload to your digital space the Soccer Emotions Chart
Print the Coping Skills Playbook Handout
Test your digital whiteboard/drawing tool to ensure smooth screen sharing
Review each material to familiarize yourself with the soccer analogies and discussion prompts

Step 1

Warm-Up Discussion

5 minutes

Greet the student and briefly chat about their favorite soccer team or player
Explain today’s goal: learning about emotions through soccer analogies
Invite the student to name one feeling they’ve had recently on the field or during a game

Step 2

Identify Emotions

15 minutes

Share the Soccer Emotions Chart on screen or in print
Guide the student to pick 3–4 emotions they recognize themselves feeling (e.g., ‘excited’, ‘frustrated’)
Ask: “When do you feel this emotion while playing soccer?”
Have the student place emotion labels on the Printable Soccer Field Template where they occur (e.g., goal celebration zone vs. bench zone)

Step 3

Explore Bodily & Mental Reactions

10 minutes

For each chosen emotion, ask “How does your body feel? What thoughts run through your mind?”
Record responses next to each emotion on the chart or whiteboard
Highlight patterns (e.g., racing heart for excitement, clenching fists for frustration)

Step 4

Introduce Coping Skills

15 minutes

Present the Coping Skills Playbook Handout
Discuss positive skills (deep breathing, positive self-talk) vs. negative skills (yelling, shutting down)
Relate each skill to a soccer move: e.g., deep breathing as ‘goalkeeper’s calm stance’
Ask the student to match 2 positive and 1 negative coping skill to emotions from the chart

Step 5

Soccer Strategy Planning

10 minutes

Using the Printable Soccer Field Template, have the student map out a “game plan”:
- Which positive coping skills to use in each ‘zone’ of emotion
- Visualize practicing these skills during a match or stressful moment
Encourage them to draw or annotate directly on the field template

Step 6

Wrap-Up & Reflection

5 minutes

Review the emotion labels, bodily reactions, and chosen coping strategies
Ask: “Which strategy do you think will help you most? When will you use it?”
Praise their insights and remind them to refer to their Playbook when needed

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Lesson Plan

Emotion Playbook Lesson Plan

Using soccer-themed analogies and hands-on activities, the student will identify and label emotions, notice bodily and mental reactions, and practice both positive and negative coping skills to build self-awareness and self-regulation in a 60-minute virtual session.

Developing emotional literacy and regulation empowers the student to understand and manage feelings. Tying lessons to his love of soccer increases engagement, motivation, and real-world application of healthy coping strategies.

Audience

3rd Grade Individual Therapy Session

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Soccer analogies with interactive charts and playbook exercises

Materials

Printable Soccer Field Template, Soccer Emotions Chart, Coping Skills Playbook Handout, and Digital Whiteboard or Drawing Tool

Prep

Prepare Materials and Review

10 minutes

Print copies of the Printable Soccer Field Template for drawing activities
Print or upload to your digital space the Soccer Emotions Chart
Print the Coping Skills Playbook Handout
Test your digital whiteboard or drawing tool to ensure smooth screen sharing
Review each material to familiarize yourself with the soccer analogies and discussion prompts

Step 1

Warm-Up Discussion

5 minutes

Greet the student and chat about their favorite soccer team or player
Explain today’s goal: learning about emotions through soccer analogies
Invite the student to name one feeling they’ve had recently on the field or during a game

Step 2

Identify Emotions

15 minutes

Share the Soccer Emotions Chart on screen or in print
Guide the student to pick 3–4 emotions they recognize (e.g., excited, frustrated)
Ask: “When do you feel this emotion while playing soccer?”
Have the student place emotion labels on the Printable Soccer Field Template where they occur (e.g., goal celebration zone vs. bench zone)

Step 3

Explore Bodily & Mental Reactions

10 minutes

For each chosen emotion, ask “How does your body feel? What thoughts run through your mind?”
Record responses next to each emotion on the chart or whiteboard
Highlight patterns (e.g., racing heart for excitement, clenching fists for frustration)

Step 4

Introduce Coping Skills

15 minutes

Present the Coping Skills Playbook Handout
Discuss positive skills (deep breathing, positive self-talk) vs. negative skills (yelling, shutting down)
Relate each skill to a soccer move (e.g., deep breathing as the goalkeeper’s calm stance)
Ask the student to match 2 positive and 1 negative coping skill to emotions from the chart

Step 5

Soccer Strategy Planning

10 minutes

Using the Printable Soccer Field Template, map out a “game plan”:
- Which positive coping skills to use in each ‘zone’ of emotion
- Visualize practicing these skills during a match or stressful moment
Encourage drawing or annotating directly on the field template

Step 6

Wrap-Up & Reflection

5 minutes

Review the emotion labels, bodily reactions, and chosen coping strategies
Ask: “Which strategy do you think will help you most? When will you use it?”
Praise their insights and remind them to refer to their Playbook when needed

Slide Deck

Emotion Playbook

60-Minute Virtual Therapy Session
3rd Grade Individual Therapy
Soccer-Themed Emotion Regulation

Welcome the student and set a friendly tone. Explain: “Today, we’re going to learn about emotions using soccer—something you love!” Remind them this is a safe space to share feelings.

Materials

• Printable Soccer Field Template
• Soccer Emotions Chart
• Coping Skills Playbook Handout
• Digital Whiteboard or Drawing Tool

Confirm all materials are within reach. Say: “We’ll use our soccer field template, an emotions chart, and a coping skills playbook today.”

1. Warm-Up Discussion (5 min)

• Greet and chat about soccer favorites
• Explain lesson goal
• Ask: “What did you feel recently while playing?”

Begin with small talk about soccer. Ask about favorite teams or players. Then introduce the goal: “Understanding how you feel on the field helps you play—and feel—better.”

2. Identify Emotions (15 min)

• Share Soccer Emotions Chart
• Choose 3–4 personal emotions (e.g., excited, frustrated)
• Ask: “When do you feel this during a game?”
• Place emotion labels on the Printable Soccer Field Template

Display the Soccer Emotions Chart. Guide the student to pick emotions they’ve felt playing. Use the digital field to place emotion labels in “zones.”

3. Explore Bodily & Mental Reactions (10 min)

• For each chosen emotion:
– How does your body feel?
– What thoughts do you notice?
• Note patterns (e.g., racing heart, clenched fists)

For each emotion, prompt the student: “How does your body react? What thoughts run through your head?” Record responses next to each emotion on the chart.

4. Introduce Coping Skills (15 min)

• Present Coping Skills Playbook Handout
• Positive skills: deep breathing, positive self-talk, …
• Negative skills: yelling, shutting down, …
• Match 2 positives + 1 negative to charted emotions

Show the Coping Skills Playbook. Explain each positive and negative skill. Relate them to soccer moves (e.g., “deep breathing is your goalkeeper’s calm stance”).

5. Soccer Strategy Planning (10 min)

• Use the field template to map a “game plan”:
– Which positive skills for each zone?
– Visualize using them in a match
• Draw or annotate your plan

Guide the student to create a “game plan.” Ask them to decide which coping skills to use in each emotion zone and draw or label directly on the field.

6. Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 min)

• Review labels, reactions, and strategies
• Ask: “Which skill will help you most? When will you use it?”
• Encourage using the Playbook in real games

Review everything: emotion zones, bodily reactions, and chosen strategies. Ask reflection questions and praise the student’s participation. Remind them to refer back to the playbook.

Worksheet

Coping Skills Playbook Handout

Instructions: Below is a list of positive and negative coping skills with soccer analogies. When you feel an emotion during a game or practice, use these skills to stay in control on and off the field. Then, use the matching activity to connect each emotion with 2 positive and 1 negative skill.

Positive Coping Skills

Deep Breathing (Goalkeeper’s Calm Stance)
Positive Self-Talk (Motivational Team Huddle)
Taking a Break (Halftime Rest)
Counting to Ten (Penalty Kick Countdown)
Asking for Help (Calling a Timeout)

Negative Coping Skills

Yelling or Screaming (Aggressive Slide Tackle)
Shutting Down (Sitting on the Bench)
Blaming Others (Pointing at the Opponent)
Ignoring Feelings (Playing with Eyes Closed)
Throwing Equipment (Fouling the Ball)

Match the Skills to Your Emotions

Use your Soccer Emotions Chart to pick 3–4 emotions you’ve felt. For each emotion, write its name, then choose two positive coping skills and one negative coping skill you might use. Explain why.

Emotion: ______

Positive Coping Skill 1: ______

Positive Coping Skill 2: ______

Negative Coping Skill: ______
Emotion: ______

Positive Coping Skill 1: ______

Positive Coping Skill 2: ______

Negative Coping Skill: ______
Emotion: ______

Positive Coping Skill 1: ______

Positive Coping Skill 2: ______

Negative Coping Skill: ______
Emotion: ______

Positive Coping Skill 1: ______

Positive Coping Skill 2: ______

Negative Coping Skill: ______

Your Coping Game Plan

Use the Printable Soccer Field Template to draw or label where and when you will use your best coping skills during a match.

Good luck out on the field!

Activity

Soccer Emotions Chart

Use this chart to explore different feelings you might have on the soccer field. Pick 3–4 emotions you’ve felt while playing. Then cut out (or circle) the emoji and place it on your Printable Soccer Field Template where you experience that emotion.

Emoji	Emotion	My Example: When I feel this…
😄	Happy
😆	Excited
😋	Proud
😌	Calm
😬	Nervous
😨	Scared
😠	Angry
😟	Frustrated
😢	Sad
🎯	Focused

How to use:

Choose 3–4 emojis from above that match how you’ve felt in a game or practice.
Cut out (or digitally copy) those emojis.
Place each emoji on your Printable Soccer Field Template in the zone where you usually feel that emotion.
Be ready to share your examples when we talk about what happens in your body and mind next!

Worksheet

Printable Soccer Field Template

Use this space to draw your soccer field, place (or paste) your emotion emojis from the Soccer Emotions Chart, and label where you experience each feeling. Then add notes about which coping skills you’ll use in each zone (goal celebration zone, midfield, bench zone, etc.).

— Draw your field here —