How is your athlete supposed to reach that goal if she struggles with confidence, gets really nervous when she knows others are watching, struggles with fear of failure and perfectionism or is constantly being compared to other players through rankings, etc?   

Is it actually possible to play well under pressure without destroying their love of the game and becoming a ball of anxiety?!  

 I bet you’ve tried reading a few articles or made suggestions to your athlete, and nothing has quite worked, right?  

Why is it so nerve-racking for your kid to perform well under pressure? How can you support them but still make sure they are working hard and getting better without adding to the pressure? Is the constant battle to get “noticed” really worth the worry, the arguments, the pressure? 

 Can you really get noticed by coaches without spending every spare moment practicing and not having a life? As a parent, how do you help motivate and push your athlete to be at their best without inadvertently adding more pressure? 

 If any (or all) of the above questions run through your head, I might be able to help. 

 Hi! I’m Valerie Alston former Badass Ballplayer and current sport psychology professional…  

 While I don't claim to know it all, and I am aware that the youth sport landscape has changed since I graduated HS in 2002, I HAVE been in your kid’s shoes. I grew up playing travel ball in Southern California, competing in national tournaments all over the country. While the landscape around playing travel softball is different from when I graduated high school in 2002, I still understand the struggles of having the “weight of the world” on my shoulders trying to get school paid for. And while I eventually earned my sought-after-full-ride scholarship to play at the University of Minnesota (Go Gophers!), I certainly had a lot of mental and emotional struggles along the way. My interactions with my own parents and those of my teammates gave me insight on how to support a ballplayer in a way that provides accountability but also love, support and no additional pressure and worries. 

 In addition to having traveled this journey your athlete is on, I have also spent 14 years working for the Army helping thousands of Soldiers understand the mental and emotional side of performing at their best when it matters the most (Life and death). I am trained in sport psychology, positive psychology, resilience, counseling, health and wellness. With all of this knowledge and experience, I want to help athletes learn and master the mental process that will allow them to unlock their potential and get noticed!!! 

 But parents, I want to help you too!!! 

 I am making 3 assumptions about you: 

You love and care about your kid. 

You genuinely want what is best for them. 

You are doing the best you know how. 

 But here is what I know, even though all of the things I said above are true, sometimes the things you do, the way you interact with your athlete and their coaches are counterproductive to them and their success. In my experience, often parent’s well intentioned attempts to help motivate or coach, end up making it more difficult for your athlete to navigate pressure in productive and useful ways. 

 What I am offering is to help your athlete build mental toughness AND help you, help your athlete! And frankly, to help you enjoy the experience more. There is no reason you shouldn’t have a great time watching your kid play a sport they love!! 

 I want to help you and your kid be BADASS BALLPLAYERS and BADASS BALLPLAYER PARENTS  

 Let me show you how to support and encourage your athletes in a way that enables them to "play like a kid again" (carefree,loose and fun) and also teach them to be more confident, manage their nerves more effectively, and learn to overcome fear of failure and perfectionism that is destroying their growth and self-worth, help them be more coachable and develop faster, and ultimately be a better player so they can standout to college coaches, make varisty, or make the travel team.  

  Here is what I’m proposing.  

 I have built a step by step plan to guide your athlete from “a nervous nellie, streaky player” to a “calm, confident and composed Badass Ballplayer” in a 12 week program. 

At the same time, I’m going to work with you to help you move from “well intentioned missteps” to “effective and productive support” helping you to become a Badass Parent 

 No fluff. No messing around, just a simple plan to take your kid who is a decent athlete but doesn’t do well under pressure, is super streaky or as soon as one thing goes wrong their play goes downhill, to an athlete who is less anxious, has more fun, still has a good relationship with you and most importantly plays well and GETS NOTICED!