Sports, Mental Health, and the Power of Belonging

Coaching Wellness: Building Youth Mental Health through Sports

In this episode of Car Ride Conversations for Sports Families, host Valerie Alston continues her discussion with Justin Boger, a board member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They explore the critical role sports play in fostering youth mental health and wellness. Topics covered include current trends in youth mental health, the importance of a supportive sports environment, goal setting, visualization, and resilience-building techniques. Valerie and Justin share practical strategies for coaches and parents to help young athletes build confidence, calm, and resilience. Tune in for valuable insights on creating a positive, growth-oriented sports culture and engaging conversational prompts for sports families.

00:00 Introduction to Car Ride Conversations

00:03 Shifting Focus: Coaching Wellness

01:02 Youth Mental Health Trends

02:36 Building Community Through Sports

05:01 Goal Setting and Visualization Techniques

07:05 Strategies for Mental Toughness

09:38 Celebrating Small Wins

15:23 Discussion Prompts for Families

19:32 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

To reach out to Justin about starting a tournament or project like this email him at [email protected] 

To participate in the tournament please visit: https://usssa.com/baseball/event_home/?eventID=409341  or email the Ankeny Girls Softball Association at: [email protected] 

Discussion questions:

1. When do you feel most confident playing your sport? What helps you get to that state
2. Justin talked about using goal cards and visualization—how could you use something like that before a game or at practice?
3. What makes a team feel like a safe place to you? How can teammates help each other feel that way?
4. Think about a time you made a mistake in a game. How did your coach or teammates respond—and what would have helped you bounce back faster?
5. (Parent add-on) How can we focus on praising effort, attitude, or teamwork more than outcomes this week?

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

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: [email protected]

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Watch every episode of Car Ride Conversations here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOjguEFjF88w5Wl-eA9dlkwLk7f_sI12V