Welcome to 'Confident Calm Clutch Car Ride Conversations' with Valerie Alston. In this episode, Valerie delves into managing nerves and using your body to enhance performance. Learn the importance of controlling your body's responses, using breath as a key tool to maintain calm and confidence, and practical strategies like box breathing and grounding techniques. This episode is perfect for parents and young athletes looking to build mental toughness, resilience, and confidence. Tune in to discover how to harness your body's natural reactions to stress and channel them productively.

00:00 Introduction to Confidence and Body Connection

00:51 Understanding the Mind-Body Link

02:31 Fight or Flight: The Body's Response to Stress

05:15 Harnessing Nervous Energy for Performance

06:42 Breathing Techniques for Athletes

13:11 Grounding Techniques to Stay Present

18:21 Family Discussion and Reflection

20:31 Conclusion and Next Steps

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Discussion questions:

1. How do you usually feel in your body before a game or big moment?
2. Have you ever tried a breathing routine to calm down? What worked—or didn’t?
3. What’s one thing you could do to stay centered during pressure moments?
4. How do we (as a family) talk about nerves? Is it seen as something bad—or normal?

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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