Is your temper something that makes you play better? Minus the lashing out at other players, do you think you play better when you're heated up? Some players do perform better after they've gotten into the game and gotten heated up a little bit, but you need to know how to control it.

It's perfectly fine to get worked up in a game, it shows that you're passionate for the sport. I used to have an issue with getting upset during games, but once I got to college i realized that I was only hurting myself. So, instead of getting upset at other players during games, I started talking to myself whenever I would make a mistake or a player would knock my heel/ankle. This has helped my focus more on my game and my team rather than focusing on my opponents and their actions. It's helped me a lot, especially in circumstances where I get upset because a player kicks/fouls me. It may not make sense to you that those seem to be the most helpful for me, but now when i get kicked/fouled I think of it as i put myself in that position to be fouled, whether it be with a bad first touch or dribbling into something that I may not be able to handle. Once you change your perspective and mentality about parts of your game, you can start to improve on them.

With that being said, you don't want to be too hard on yourself. We are all our own greatest critics, but we don't want to become our own worst enemy. I currently play with a guy who is extremely talented but he is far too hard on himself. He can come into a game, have nothing but pristine first touches and passes, then as soon as he makes a mistake he starts to get down on himself. 1 or 2 mistakes later and he's mentally out of the game. So it's all about finding the right balance.

I hope some of this has helped in some way, or at least has gotten you thinking more about it. There's nothing wrong with trash talk, it's just part of the game, especially if it's for having your teammates back. But like you said, if you think it's not the best way to motivate yourself then you gotta change it. Check out Eden Hazard. The guy doesn't get phased by anything in his game, which is incredible considering the amount of times he gets fouled.