Indiana University Athletics
Flip the Script: IU Alum Coyte Cooper Helping People Reach Full Potential
2/26/2020 11:34:00 AM | Wrestling
Following a successful wrestling career at Indiana and All-America honors at the 2004 NCAA Championships, IU wrestling alum Coyte Cooper joined the staff as a volunteer coach.
For Coyte, working with people and helping people is something he has always enjoyed. Even when he was in high school, it was helping his teammates.
Fast forward years later and Cooper has written three books and gives motivational talks around the country. His latest book, Flip the Script is about training your brain to breakthrough your biggest barriers and release your highest potential.
His third book, Flip the Script took almost two years to complete because he first had to write it for himself based on person adversity.
Cooper learned that life doesn't always give you what you want. After six years of hard work and sacrifice as an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration at the University of North Carolina, Cooper was denied tenure.
Upon reflection Cooper knew he loved speaking, writing books, goal setting and could use what he learned through athletics and adversity to help others be more productive in life. He started working with coaches and professionals on how to help people reach their highest potential.
"What I really want is for people to really love their lives and love who they are," Cooper said. "I think if you get clear on the most important areas of your life and create the right structure and show up every day, it pulls out a lot of passion in your life."
The idea behind Flip the Script, is everyone has barriers in their lives that stop them from living the way they want. Some of those barriers are fear, self-doubt, distractions, fitting in and the need for perfection.
A key way in which Cooper flips the script on these barriers is through positive habits and a morning routine to get him in the right frame of mind.
Cooper wakes up between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. in the morning. Why? When the world is quiet that is time he can invest in himself and build energy he can pour into others. It's getting his mind and body ready for the day ahead.
He starts with meditation. Then he takes out his planner and thinks about and writes about his value visions, who he wants to be as a human, including goals and habits, what is important in his life. Coyte and his wife Brandy read every morning with their son Carter. Then most days Coyte and Brandy work out together for about 30 minutes.
Cooper points out that people don't need to start with two hours in the morning at first, but starting the day with positive thoughts and habits can help tremendously.
Negative thoughts are all around us and Cooper experienced them after he lost his job, but he broke out of it with his morning routine.
Cooper focuses on things he is grateful for in life and says if you start to grab onto positive habits you can start to change things and give your brain better options. He also emphasized the importance of growth.
"Learn to make growth the single most important thing in your life," he said. "Not the achievement of the goals, but when you go into your day love the opportunity to get better every single day."
One thing Cooper is grateful for is family. He and his wife Brandy have two kids, a son Carter and daughter Mya.
"My wife is amazing in the way she shows up for our kids and family every single day," Cooper said. "When you are around something life that, that is inspiring."
The things Cooper talks about are some of the same things IU head coach Angel Escobedo talks with his wrestlers about. The IU team has several core values that are posted in their room: Accountability, Communication, Commitment & Consistency, Attitude & Effort are a Choice, Relentless Competitor, Grit & Perseverance, Positive Attitude, Family, Belief & Purpose and Leadership.
"I think he's awesome," Cooper said of Escobedo. "I think he is really good for the program. He has awesome energy and I'm excited about the program with him in charge."
Among the advice Cooper said he would give to the IU wrestlers who are where he once was: sit down and get crystal clear on the value areas of your life that are the most important. What is my vision and what would I love to accomplish in my life in the next four or five years and write those things down.
Among all, Cooper goes back to gratitude.
"When you get into the day be grateful for the opportunities you have and use that opportunity to do something really special in your life," he said.
For Coyte, working with people and helping people is something he has always enjoyed. Even when he was in high school, it was helping his teammates.
Fast forward years later and Cooper has written three books and gives motivational talks around the country. His latest book, Flip the Script is about training your brain to breakthrough your biggest barriers and release your highest potential.
His third book, Flip the Script took almost two years to complete because he first had to write it for himself based on person adversity.
Cooper learned that life doesn't always give you what you want. After six years of hard work and sacrifice as an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration at the University of North Carolina, Cooper was denied tenure.
Upon reflection Cooper knew he loved speaking, writing books, goal setting and could use what he learned through athletics and adversity to help others be more productive in life. He started working with coaches and professionals on how to help people reach their highest potential.
"What I really want is for people to really love their lives and love who they are," Cooper said. "I think if you get clear on the most important areas of your life and create the right structure and show up every day, it pulls out a lot of passion in your life."
The idea behind Flip the Script, is everyone has barriers in their lives that stop them from living the way they want. Some of those barriers are fear, self-doubt, distractions, fitting in and the need for perfection.
A key way in which Cooper flips the script on these barriers is through positive habits and a morning routine to get him in the right frame of mind.
Cooper wakes up between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. in the morning. Why? When the world is quiet that is time he can invest in himself and build energy he can pour into others. It's getting his mind and body ready for the day ahead.
He starts with meditation. Then he takes out his planner and thinks about and writes about his value visions, who he wants to be as a human, including goals and habits, what is important in his life. Coyte and his wife Brandy read every morning with their son Carter. Then most days Coyte and Brandy work out together for about 30 minutes.
Cooper points out that people don't need to start with two hours in the morning at first, but starting the day with positive thoughts and habits can help tremendously.
Negative thoughts are all around us and Cooper experienced them after he lost his job, but he broke out of it with his morning routine.
Cooper focuses on things he is grateful for in life and says if you start to grab onto positive habits you can start to change things and give your brain better options. He also emphasized the importance of growth.
"Learn to make growth the single most important thing in your life," he said. "Not the achievement of the goals, but when you go into your day love the opportunity to get better every single day."
One thing Cooper is grateful for is family. He and his wife Brandy have two kids, a son Carter and daughter Mya.
"My wife is amazing in the way she shows up for our kids and family every single day," Cooper said. "When you are around something life that, that is inspiring."
The things Cooper talks about are some of the same things IU head coach Angel Escobedo talks with his wrestlers about. The IU team has several core values that are posted in their room: Accountability, Communication, Commitment & Consistency, Attitude & Effort are a Choice, Relentless Competitor, Grit & Perseverance, Positive Attitude, Family, Belief & Purpose and Leadership.
"I think he's awesome," Cooper said of Escobedo. "I think he is really good for the program. He has awesome energy and I'm excited about the program with him in charge."
Among the advice Cooper said he would give to the IU wrestlers who are where he once was: sit down and get crystal clear on the value areas of your life that are the most important. What is my vision and what would I love to accomplish in my life in the next four or five years and write those things down.
Among all, Cooper goes back to gratitude.
"When you get into the day be grateful for the opportunities you have and use that opportunity to do something really special in your life," he said.
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