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Kickstart Engaging Conversations with Confident Calm Clutch Car Ride Conversations

Sunday, January 12, 2025

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Welcome to a New Journey: Confident Calm Clutch Car Ride Conversations

Welcome to the very first episode of the 'Confident Calm and Clutch Car Ride Conversations' podcast, where meaningful dialogues are designed for parents and their young athletes during everyday car journeys. I’m your host Valerie Alston, bringing to you insights from my years as a division one softball player, sports psychology expert, and resilience coach. With over 16 years of experience coaching resilience within the military and through my own business focusing on athletes, their parents, and coaches, I've learned the vital importance of nurturing mental toughness not only for sports but for life as well.

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**Why This Podcast Matters**

In today’s fast-paced world, kids are feeling immense pressure from school to social media. They're growing up in an environment far more demanding than past generations, leading to increased rates of anxiety and other mental health challenges. As parents and adults, it’s vital to guide and support them in building resilience, which often begins with a simple conversation.

Growing up, my best dialogues with my family often occurred during long car rides to various sporting events. In those rides, we discussed strategy, sportsmanship, and life lessons. Today’s children, however, are often engrossed in technology during these potentially rich interaction times. This podcast aims to reclaim those moments, fostering connections and building lasting relationships.

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**The Purpose: Building Skills and Mindsets**

Every episode of this podcast introduces an important topic pertinent to thriving in school, sports, or life. Topics like mental toughness, handling pressure, confidence building, and even current events in youth sports will be discussed. I'll provide insights and share skills or tools relevant to each topic. Additionally, the second half of each episode focuses on open-ended discussion questions designed to inspire meaningful dialogues between parents and young athletes.

Whether you're on the way to practice or just running errands, these conversations can transform routine car rides into learning and bonding opportunities. The aim is to offer parents, and even coaches, a way to engage young minds and facilitate discussions that are crucial for personal growth.

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**Utilizing the Podcast: Parents and Coaches**

For parents, selecting an episode that interests your child or pertains to an area where they might need support is straightforward. Listen to the podcast together, pause after questions to discuss, or reflect on the questions post-listening session. Episodes are short, about 9 to 15 minutes, but designed to stimulate extended conversations.

Coaches can also leverage this podcast to instill mental toughness and resilience in their teams. Listen as a group, reflect on questions, and even have players share their insights at practice. Through these methods, coaches can extend the conversations from the field into everyday life, engaging both players and parents.

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**Guidelines for Meaningful Conversations**

1. **No Wrong Answers:** Everyone's opinion counts. Explore perspectives openly.
2. **Take Turns:** Foster an environment where everyone shares and listens.
3. **Minimize Distractions:** Engage attentively without external disruptions.
4. **Choose Your Dialogue Flow:** Decide if you wish to pause after each question or tackle them post-episode, adapting the flow to suit your family or team dynamics.

Remember, these conversations are not meant to be exhaustive in one sitting. Take your time and let dialogues evolve naturally, promoting a positive and interactive atmosphere.

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**Introducing Our First Topic: Mental Toughness**

We delve into mental toughness – the skill to stay focused and resilient under pressure, invaluable not just for sports but for every facet of life. Here are a few conversation starters:

1. **What Does Mental Toughness Mean to You?** Reflect on why it’s crucial.
2. **Personal Experiences:** Discuss moments when mental toughness was essential, whether they led to success or provided learning experiences.
3. **Developing Skills:** Identify areas for improvement in mental toughness and actionable steps to enhance this skill.

These discussions are not just for immediate enlightenment but aim to support ongoing growth and resilience, becoming a foundational aspect of life-long learning.

Join Our Community

Join me in this journey to empower young individuals to thrive across various domains of life. If you find the podcast helpful, please share it with other parents and coaches in your community.

Don't forget to subscribe to 'Confident Calm and Clutch Car Ride Conversations' and consider joining my newsletter for more exclusive tips.


My best-selling book, "Confident, Calm, and Clutch," is also available to delve deeper into building mental toughness. Suggestions for future episodes are always welcome, ensuring our journey together remains relevant and impactful. Thank you for being part of our inaugural episode, and I look forward to many more enriching rides with you!.

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Hi, I Am ValErie Alston

Certified Mental Performance Consultant

Resilience Trainer and Performance Expert for the Army

Author

Former D1 Softball Player

Crossfit Enthusiast

Avid Traveler and lover of food

And Awesome Auntie!