Episode 170: "Attack the Process". Building Mental Toughness with Jeremy Clodfelder

What if mental toughness is not something athletes are simply born with—but a skill they can build every day?

In Episode 170 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Jeremy Clodfelder, head football and softball coach at Paris High School, for a powerful conversation about leadership, culture, mental conditioning, and the work it takes to keep growing.

With more than 20 years of coaching experience, over 100 career football victories, three rebuilt football programs, and a record-setting softball career, Coach Clodfelder has seen success from many angles. But some of his most important lessons came through adversity, personal struggle, and learning that strong leadership requires more than X’s and O’s.

One of the central ideas in this episode is simple: do not just trust the process—attack the process. Trust matters, but results do not come from hope alone. Growth requires intentional action, consistent effort, and a willingness to show up even on the days when motivation is low.

Jeremy shares his Code of Standards: Consistency, Ownership, Discipline, and Excellence. These standards help athletes and coaches focus on what they can control rather than allowing feelings, setbacks, or outcomes to dictate how they show up. He calls it “standard over feelings.”

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why trusting the process is not enough—you have to attack it.
• How consistency, ownership, discipline, and excellence create lasting growth.
• Why winning is a byproduct of doing the right things consistently.
• How to hold athletes accountable while still leading with grace.
• Why great coaches can be demanding without being demeaning.
• How vulnerability and relationships create stronger team cultures.
• Why mental toughness must be trained every day.
• How to discover your personal “burn”—the deeper reason you keep showing up.
• Coach Clodfelder’s powerful mantra: “Master Your Mirror.”

Whether you are a coach, athlete, parent, educator, or leader, this conversation is a reminder that growth is not built in one big moment. It is built in the daily choices to respond well, own your actions, and give your best effort.

At the end of the day, you cannot control every outcome. But you can control whether you showed up with consistency, ownership, discipline, and excellence.

Connect with Coach Jeremy Clodfelder:

• Email: coachclodcompanies@gmail.com
• Facebook: Jeremy Clodfelder
• Instagram: @jeremy_clodfelder
• X: @Coach_Clod
• LinkedIn: Jeremy Clodfelder

Learn more about Mental Mettle Coaching at mentalmettlelifecoaching.com.

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Forge Your Mettle.