Mental Health Champions: Why & How Alison Cooper Of Level Up, Performance Mindset Coaching Is Helping To Champion Mental Wellness

An Interview With Michelle Tennant Nicholson

Everyday I like to exercise. Years ago I worked out 3 times per week for an hour. Each day I had the option and a decision to make. Now I workout 30 minutes everyday, it is part of my routine and conserves my mental energy for other decisions.

As a part of our series about Mental Health Champions helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Alison Cooper.

Alison Cooper is founder of Level Up, Performance Mindset Coaching, which helps athletes build stronger mindsets and resilience through sport. Working with athletes one on one she helps them develop individualized tools to manage energy, focus, pressure and all the uncomfortable feelings preventing youth from reaching their potential. Alison has over 15 years experience coaching youth sports and is an advocate for keeping girls in sport as a pathway for building coping skills, confidence and better physical and mental health for life.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I was fortunate to be raised in a comfortable home, with a loving family and great circumstances. From a young age I was attracted to the connection derived from team sports yet I had low self-confidence in my athletic abilities. I believed I wasn’t athletic and didn’t have the ability to perform in the more competitive sports. I was happy to sit on the bench and cheer because I didn’t want to let anyone down by making mistakes. This fear robbed me of the opportunity to grow. As an adult my growth mindset has allowed me to play soccer, tennis and learn to downhill ski. The work I do with adolescent athletes today teaches them everything I wished I had known as a young player.

You are currently leading an initiative that is helping to promote mental wellness. Can you tell us a bit more specifically about what you are trying to address?

I have seen first hand the benefits of sports participation on the overall physical and mental well-being of athletes. By age 14, many girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys. Girls who participate in sports demonstrate higher self-esteem, have lower rates of depression, perform better in school and on average earn more than their non-athlete peers later in life. A study of 821 senior managers and executives found that 94% played organized sports after primary school. We also know that sports can improve communication skills, teamwork, leadership, stress management, and lead to an active adulthood. The goal of my business, Level Up, is to give girls the tools to stay in sport for as long as possible to enhance their physical and mental health.

Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?

Adolescence is anything but easy. As much as I disliked many of my teenage years, I am grateful to have grown up in a simpler time. The heightened pressures our daughters face today have created a new level of anxiety which is preventing them from developing the confidence skills they need to be happy, contributing young adults. My experience coaching has taught me how sports can be a safe space to deal with struggles, overcome disappointments and build confidence. Level Up allows me to reach more participants across many different sports.

Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?

I am not sure there is ever an “Aha Moment” and I prefer to think of my path as a journey. If someone believes they will have a moment in time when everything points in one direction that person may never get started. Looking back I realize my involvement in coaching began with the birth of my daughter and a recognized need to teach girls healthy behaviors to develop a positive body image. A friend and I co-founded and operated a company called Fitgirls; an after school program teaching basic sport skills, healthy eating and developing social confidence to help deal with the pressure and scrutiny girls experience during puberty. We used physical activity, healthy habits and self-esteem building as a way to give girls the confidence to participate in any activity. This is how my journey began.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?

The feedback I receive from families after their daughter has gone through the Level Up program inspires me to do more. I was recently in contact with the parent of a girl who participated in the Level Up program last year. She commented that her daughter reflects back on things she learned, especially understanding how we have to push ourselves outside our comfort zone to grow. She talks about the space outside the growth zone where the pressure is too much; that I refer to as the panic zone. She understands it is not the sport she doesn’t like but the zone that is making her feel super uncomfortable. Then she told me this story. “I was filling out a school permission form and was talking out loud to myself “any medical change since September?” I said “no” and my daughter said “yes, mentally strong and more confident.” I am so happy I could be part of her journey getting to that realization.

None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?

I am grateful for the many co-workers, friends and family who have supported my career. Upon reflection my co-founder of Fitgirls, Lynn More, had the biggest impact at the start of my journey. Lynn had 2 daughters before I had kids and we would talk about social pressures at early ages. I remember a story of her daughter in tears because she didn’t have a lip gloss and could no longer be part of her friend group; she was FIVE. For six years Lynn and I created a safe place for girls to be themselves, build a positive self image and create healthy habits. Lynn, as a high level gymnast and cheerleader in university, taught me many tools that helped her be an empowered and self confident athlete in a space we now know has had detrimental effects on many participants.

According to Mental Health America’s report, over 44 million Americans have a mental health condition. Yet there’s still a stigma about mental illness. Can you share a few reasons you think this is so?

One of the challenges with mental illness is that we often can’t see it. Just like a concussion, things happening in our brain are not visible the same way other diseases can be identified. Another reason the population struggles accepting mental illness is that some older generations did not grow up openly sharing emotions, many were raised to keep their feelings inside. There are also people who fear that sharing struggles is a weakness and something you can control. We now know mental illness is not within your control and seeking professional help is not a weakness.

In your experience, what should a) individuals b) society, and c) the government do to better support people suffering from mental illness?

I believe creating awareness and education around mental illness is the way to drive progress. In recent years, thanks to leading athletes like Simone Biles, Michael Phelps and Naomi Osaka, we now understand how important mental training and mental health can be to performance and overall well-being. The pandemic has also made us realize how unprepared we were to deal with the challenges of uncertainty and isolation. By recognizing the importance of good mental health strategies we can lessen the debilitating effects of a mental illness.

A point I would like to make is that mental health and mental illness are not the same thing, I focus on strategies for good mental health. Mental health is defined as a state of psychological, emotional and social well-being. It is constantly changing based on our environments and how we take care of ourselves. Building strong positive mindsets in kids by teaching them about the brain, emotional regulation, managing pressures and habits for self-compassion, will improve coping skills for handling challenges later in life. A person can have good mental health and lead a full life even with a mental illness.

What are your 5 strategies you use to promote your own well-being and mental wellness? Can you please give a story or example for each?

Routines help manage mental energy and I recommend habits to maintain good mental and physical health.

1. Everyday I like to exercise. Years ago I worked out 3 times per week for an hour. Each day I had the option and a decision to make. Now I workout 30 minutes everyday, it is part of my routine and conserves my mental energy for other decisions.
2. It is important to me that my busy family of five has at least one balanced meal a day. I love to cook that meal and we enjoy it with conversation around the table.
3. As much as I love to be productive, I now understand that downtime to decompress is an active state that our body needs. I enjoy taking time to read for pleasure, try a new recipe or escape with some good tv.
4. My friends will tell you I am the planner and organizer of social events. Each Saturday morning I have a workout and a social visit with a friend. I am in a book club once per month and I have a group of neighbors that cook together every four weeks. I believe we all need connection.
5. I surround myself with people who are committed to learning, challenging themselves and evolving into better versions of themselves. When you want to make a change I recommend telling others about the desired habits to help you stay accountable. In the past I have done 30 day challenges with friends. Each person picks a daily goal and sends a text each day when the task is complete. At the end of 30 days the winner pays for a dinner out.

What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a mental health champion?

I am a curious person always wanting to read and process knowledge to improve. I highly recommend the Way of Champions Podcast for coaches. John O’Sullivan and Jerry Lynch have had a huge impact in how I coach young athletes, from structuring practice to dealing with challenges. Their philosophy of putting the person before the athlete is a foundation that would benefit all teams. I took the Science of Happiness course with Dr Laurie Santos and she has a wonderful podcast entitled The Happiness Lab which is an uplifting and inspiring listen. Some of my favourite books that are evidence based, practical and actionable are Untangled, by Lisa Damour, for anyone who has a young daughter, Permission to Feel, by Marc Brackett, Atomic Habits, by James Clear, Win the Day, by Jerry Lynch, and The Practicing Mind, by Thomas M. Sterner. Finally I recommend videos by Trevor Regan, The Learner Lab, all athletes should hear the story of the jungle tiger and the zoo tiger.

If you could tell other people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

The most worthwhile things in life are not easy. I encourage anyone who has the means to make the lives of others a little bit better. I believe that people are doing the best they can with the gifts they have been given. If people are trying their best, what could you do to make their lives a little easier, share some joy? Understanding what is important to you can help you find a purposeful path to giving back. The most rewarding experiences are often the ones when you are helping others because it often involves connection.

How can our readers follow you online?

I offer free 15 minute calls with parents to discuss specific struggles their children are facing in sports and other activities. My website to request a call or find out more and read my blog is levelupwithalison.com.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!

About the Interviewer: Inspired by the father of PR, Edward Bernays (who was also Sigmund Freud’s nephew), Michelle Tennant Nicholson researches marketing, mental injury, and what it takes for optimal human development. An award-winning writer and publicist, she’s seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Michelle co-founded WasabiPublicity.com.