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Car Ride Conversations For Sports Families

Car Ride Conversations For Sports Families

Von: Valerie Alston
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The ultimate podcast for parents, coaches, and youth sport athletes who want to unlock the secrets to mental toughness, confidence, and resilience. Whether you're on your way to practice, a big game, or just tackling the daily grind, these bite-sized episodes are designed to spark meaningful conversations to equip young athletes with actionable tools to thrive in school, sports and life while building strong relationships with their parents, one car ride at a time. Hosted by Valerie Alston, former D1 athlete, sport psychology expert, and resilience coach, each episode dives into key topics like building effective self-talk, staying calm under pressure, and bouncing back from setbacks. With real-life stories, practical tips, and relatable insights, you'll discover how to support your youth sport athlete's journey while strengthening your connection along the way. Buckle up and join us for a ride full of inspiration, growth, and the skills needed to become Confident, Calm, and Clutch! Questions? Comments? Ideas? ✉️ Email me: valerie.alston@valstoncoaching.com Follow Me On: 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666 ✨ For exclusive tips, tools, and updates, join my newsletter: 📬 https://www.confidentcalmclutch.com/newsletterCopyright 2026 Valerie Alston Beziehungen Elternschaft & Familienleben Hygiene & gesundes Leben Seelische & Geistige Gesundheit
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  • The Mental Game of the World Cup: Lessons Every Young Athlete Should Notice

    The Mental Game of the World Cup: Lessons Every Young Athlete Should Notice
    Jul 6 2026

    Watch the World Cup Differently: Mental Toughness Lessons for Young Athletes

    Valerie Alston challenges sports families to watch the World Cup by focusing on mindset rather than the ball, using knockout-round moments to teach mental toughness. She highlights how quickly momentum shifts in soccer and the importance of emotional flexibility—responding to the current reality and “playing the score on the scoreboard, not the one in your head.” She explains that pressure doesn’t require rushing, emphasizing deliberate routines and the cue “slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” She also discusses intentional body language after mistakes, composure late in games, and how top teams solve problems together through communication, encouragement, and solution-focused resilience.

    00:00 Watch the Mindset

    01:18 Momentum and Emotional Flexibility

    03:26 Play the Scoreboard

    04:37 Pressure Without Rushing

    06:24 Slow Is Smooth

    07:11 Body Language and Composure

    09:33 Team Resilience Together

    10:52 Watch for the Hidden Skills

    11:53 Family Conversation Prompts

    14:46 Wrap Up and Next Steps

    Discussion questions:

    1. When you watched the World Cup this week, who impressed you the most—not because they scored, but because of how they handled pressure?
    2. After you make a mistake in your sport, what does your body language usually communicate to your teammates?
    3. What's one situation in your sport where slowing down instead of speeding up would actually help you perform better?
    4. If someone watched only your attitude—not your statistics—what would they learn about you as a teammate?

    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.

    For exclusive tips, tools, and updates join my newsletter at www.confidentcalmclutch.com/newsletter

    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

    If you are a coach looking for ways to build mental toughness into your practices then check out my coaching resources (books, assessments, conversation starters, community and more) here.

    Parents join my Facebook group to Help Your Athlete Gain Mental Toughness for Parents

    Have an idea for a topic? Submit your idea here.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email me: valerie.alston@valstoncoaching.com

    Follow Me on:

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666

    Watch every episode of Car Ride Conversations here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOjguEFjF88w5Wl-eA9dlkwLk7f_sI12V
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    16 Min.
  • How to Pay for College Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Money)

    How to Pay for College Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Money)
    Jun 29 2026

    How to Pay for College: Scholarships, FAFSA Timing, and Family Money Talks

    Valerie Alston and guest Shelly Howard discuss how sports families can fund college through early, honest conversations about what parents can contribute, whether loans are on the table, and the student’s role in earning merit scholarships. Howard explains four “buckets” of money, notes scholarships can be pursued as early as fourth grade, and emphasizes getting a clear estimate of what colleges expect you to pay using a Student Aid Index (SAI) calculator. She highlights that FAFSA considers not only income but where assets are held, and warns planning should start well before late junior year. The episode stresses that the biggest money can come from choosing the right, more generous college and from students building a strong “resume” of authentic leadership and activities. They offer conversation starters like the “millionaire” game to gauge values and financial literacy, and share resources including books and a 30-minute discovery call at collegereadyplan.info.

    00:00 College Cost Wakeup

    02:16 Funding Starts With Talk

    04:46 Scholarship Buckets And FAFSA

    08:07 Student Merit Mindset

    13:19 Where To Find Scholarships

    17:24 Family Money Talk Starters

    18:20 Millionaire Game And Debt

    23:03 Resources And Wrap Up

    www.collegereadyplan.info

    www.collegereadyplan.com

    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.

    For exclusive tips, tools, and updates join my newsletter at www.confidentcalmclutch.com/newsletter

    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

    If you are a coach looking for ways to build mental toughness into your practices then check out my coaching resources (books, assessments, conversation starters, community and more) here.

    Parents join my Facebook group to Help Your Athlete Gain Mental Toughness for Parents

    Have an idea for a topic? Submit your idea here.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email me: valerie.alston@valstoncoaching.com

    Follow Me on:

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666

    Watch every episode of Car Ride Conversations here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOjguEFjF88w5Wl-eA9dlkwLk7f_sI12V
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    26 Min.
  • Before You Pick a Major, Try This First - with Shellee Howard

    Before You Pick a Major, Try This First - with Shellee Howard
    Jun 22 2026
    How to Pick a College Major & School: Try, Test, and Build a Real Plan Host Valerie Alston continues her conversation with college-planning expert Shelly Howard about helping students move from a future vision to choosing a major and school. They emphasize building confidence by trying real experiences, shadowing jobs, volunteering, and leadership roles, to discover both what students like and what they don’t, while also gathering stories for applications. They discuss balancing passion with practicality, including return on investment and realistic expectations for careers like professional sports or influencing. Howard outlines key admissions factors: rigorous GPA, aligned test scores, meaningful service, extracurricular depth, leadership, recommendations, and a strong essay, and explains how her “College Ready” village reduces stress by providing a roadmap and support for both students and parents. They close with conversation prompts on who leads the process and what type of college environment fits best.00:00 Pressure to Decide00:21 Meet the Hosts01:22 Vision to Next Steps03:19 Try It to Know It06:46 Athletes and Reality Checks09:26 Passion Versus Paycheck11:17 Choosing a College11:40 What Schools Look For15:13 Beating the Overwhelm20:51 Car Ride Questions21:35 Who Leads the Process23:42 Assessments and Neutral Help25:55 Campus Fit and Tours27:35 Wrap Up and Next Week You can reach Shelley and College Ready Plan on social media here:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleehoward/Facebook:Shellee Maree Howard 5.3K followerswww.facebook.com/shellee.howard1College Ready Page 4.8k followerswww.facebook.com/CollegeReadyPlanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegereadyplan/Youtube: @collegereadyplanhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_WodPHDfSWEbiPdsRDbyQTikTok: collegereadyplanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@collegereadyplan?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcGoogle: College ReadyTwitter: https://x.com/GoCollegeReadyDiscussion questions: What's something you've always been curious about but haven't tried yet? What would it take to explore it?Think about an experience you've had recently. What did it teach you about what you enjoy or don't enjoy?If you could shadow anyone's job or spend a day learning from someone, who would it be and why?What's one skill (leadership, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, etc.) you want to develop this year, and how could sports help you build it?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.For exclusive tips, tools, and updates join my newsletter at www.confidentcalmclutch.com/newsletterFor 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 psychologyIf you are a coach looking for ways to build mental toughness into your practices then check out my coaching resources (books, assessments, conversation starters, community and more) here.Parents join my Facebook group to Help Your Athlete Gain Mental Toughness for ParentsHave an idea for a topic? Submit your idea here.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email me: valerie.alston@valstoncoaching.comFollow Me on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoachingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666Watch every episode of Car Ride Conversations here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOjguEFjF88w5Wl-eA9dlkwLk7f_sI12V
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    29 Min.
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