Clutch Academy: Sports Psychology for Youth Sport Coaches

Valerie Alston

Welcome to the Clutch Academy, where we feature elite coaches who show us how they develop athletes who are confident, calm, clutch, and ready to perform when it counts. We discuss practice strategies, in-game management, leadership, character development and mental resilience the exact strategies they use to help their athletes succeed on and off the field. Follow Me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666

Episodes

  1. Volleyball Coaching Masterclass: Instilling Confidence and Building Culture with Laura Watling

    May 27

    Volleyball Coaching Masterclass: Instilling Confidence and Building Culture with Laura Watling

    Volleyball Coach Laura Watling on Building Confidence Under Pressure with Culture and Practice Design In this Clutch Academy episode, host Valerie Alston interviews high school volleyball coach Laura Watling, who shares how mental pressure—not technique—often causes athletes to miss fundamentals like serving, and how she builds confident, calm, clutch performers. Watling explains the importance of relationships and understanding athletes’ lives so coaching corrections don’t deflate confidence, and describes challenges with a young team that struggled to perform under pressure. She discusses how social media and comparison increase pressure, plus the high-stakes postseason qualification system in Colorado. Watling outlines strategies including summer camps and open gyms to prepare athletes early, building a program-wide culture across three teams, daily pressure-serving and goal-based drills that add fatigue and consequences, faster-than-game practice tempo to make matches feel slower, and teaching players to think for themselves rather than relying on constant coaching. 00:00 Why Athletes Miss 01:01 Clutch Academy Intro 01:56 Meet Coach Laura 02:45 Defining Calm Clutch 05:21 Coaching Confidence 07:08 When Pressure Hits 10:04 Social Media Comparison 13:32 Summer Prep Strategies 15:31 Building Program Culture 16:54 Culture Does The Work 17:30 Competitive Love Balance 17:55 Building a Program 19:15 Pressure Proof Practices 19:41 Serving Under Pressure 22:29 Fast Tempo Training 24:12 Explaining the Why 25:05 Empowering Athlete Leaders 26:45 Teaching Self Reliance 29:07 Community of Coaches 30:08 Wrap Up and Resources And one more time if you want to give your athlete a science-backed process to take them to the next level without changing anything about their physical practice and training routine, then you need to learn the three secrets at www.confidentcalmclutch.com/coaches. All links below include affiliate links. I will receive a small commission from the sale of services/resources linked in this video. Resources from this episode Confident, Calm and Clutch: How to build confidence and mental toughness for young athletes using sports psychology - Valerie R. Alston https://amzn.to/3PI7ieJHow to Teach Mental Skills to Athletes: Confident, Calm, and Clutch Coaching Companion - The Ultimate Guide to Coaching Mental Toughness https://amzn.to/4dEGwNH Follow Me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666

    31 min
  2. Interview with 52 Year Coaching Veteran Jack Smithlin

    May 18

    Interview with 52 Year Coaching Veteran Jack Smithlin

    Coach Jack Smithlin on the Mental Game, Mindset, and Building Resilient Athletes This episode of Clutch Academy features veteran softball coach Jack Smithlin, who shares how confidence leads to calmness and enables athletes to perform clutch under pressure. He emphasizes that skill alone doesn’t keep athletes on the field; the mind, heart, and body must work together, with relaxed muscles and a relaxed mind producing better performance. Smithlin discusses coaching tactics such as repetition and “perfect practice,” focusing on controllables, redefining success beyond stats, and teaching players to react rather than overthink. He describes using Valerie Alston’s books and weekly team sessions to develop mindset skills like positive self-talk, handling failure as learning, and building grit and character for life beyond sports, while adapting coaching to individual athletes’ needs. 00:00 Mind Over Skill 00:35 Show Intro and Mission 01:29 Meet Coach Jack 02:18 Defining Confident Calm Clutch 06:54 Control the Controllables 09:22 Practice Mindset Tactics 14:06 Teaching Flow at the Plate 17:00 Where the Title Came From 21:30 Growth Mindset and Failure 25:07 Passion Drives Progress 26:36 Resources for Coaches 29:43 Final Thanks and CTA All links below include affiliate links. I will receive a small commission from the sale of services/resources linked in this video. Resources from this episode Confident, Calm and Clutch: How to build confidence and mental toughness for young athletes using sports psychology - Valerie R. Alston https://amzn.to/3PI7ieJMindset: The new Psychology of Success - Carol Dweck https://amzn.to/4nyMjYnThe Mental Game of Baseball : A Guide to Peak Performance - H.A. Dorfman https://amzn.to/491GkW0Secrets of Sports Psychology Revealed by Rick Wolf https://amzn.to/42GF6vDYou Haven’t Taught Until They’ve Learned - Swen Nater & Ronald Gallimore https://amzn.to/3RfCi6e Follow Me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666

    30 min
  • 2 Episodes

About

Welcome to the Clutch Academy, where we feature elite coaches who show us how they develop athletes who are confident, calm, clutch, and ready to perform when it counts. We discuss practice strategies, in-game management, leadership, character development and mental resilience the exact strategies they use to help their athletes succeed on and off the field. Follow Me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valstoncoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valstoncoaching YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valstoncoaching9666

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