Starting Strong: Setting the Right Mindset for a New Season

In this episode of Confident Common Clutch Car Ride Conversations, host Valerie Alston provides parents and young athletes with strategies to build mental toughness, resilience, and confidence as they begin a new sports season. She focuses on mental preparation, visualization techniques, setting effective goals, and managing expectations. Valerie also shares dialogue prompts for parents and athletes to discuss their goals and support each other in maintaining a balanced perspective. Join us to make your car rides more meaningful and strengthen relationships while fostering lifelong skills.

00:00 Introduction to Confident Car Ride Conversations

00:34 Opening Day Mindset: Starting the Season Strong

02:12 Mental Preparation and Visualization Techniques

06:26 Setting Effective Goals for the Season

10:33 Managing Early Season Expectations and Pressures

14:41 Dialogue Prompts for Parents and Athletes

18:04 Conclusion and Additional Resources

Discussion questions:

1. Athlete: How do you mentally prepare for the excitement and nerves associated with the start of a new season?​ Follow-up: Can you share specific techniques that help you stay focused during high-pressure moments?​
2. Parent: Reflecting on your own experiences, how have you managed the anticipation of beginning a new project or phase in life?​Follow-up: What strategies did you use to set positive goals and handle early expectations?​
3. Together: Discuss the importance of setting both short-term and long-term goals at the start of a season. How can these goals influence performance and motivation?​ Follow-up: How can we support each other in maintaining a balanced perspective on expectations and pressures?

Thanks for joining me on Confident, Calm, and Clutch Car Ride Conversations! If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a moment. Share it with other parents or coaches who could use a little extra inspiration on the go.

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For more specific tips on building mental toughness, buy my book Confident, Calm and Clutch: How to build confidence and mental toughness for young athletes using sports psychology

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