We have a positively inspiring small business spotlight to light up your day, your week, your journey – great for on or off “the field.” Meet Allison Fink, founder of Mindset Mastery with Allison and a passionate advocate for helping young female athletes strengthen their mental game. Allison’s background is perfect for this task – the newly retired high school girls volleyball coach has a background as a middle school health teacher and holds certifications in sports psychology and mental performance coaching. Through her specialized work, Allison empowers athletes to overcome self-doubt, manage pressure, and build lasting confidence both on and off the field.
In Chicago North Shore Moms exclusive interview, Allison shares her journey, relatable and actionable insights including a game-day technique that will help your athlete improve focus and overcome doubt, and how mastering mindset can unlock an athlete’s true potential. Welcome, Allison!
Hi Allison. Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
Hi, my name is Allison Fink. I was born in Highland Park and raised in Lincolnshire. In 2009, I moved to Highwood when I began my second career as a middle school health teacher at Lake Bluff Middle School. I chose Highwood because of its close proximity to both my family in Lincolnshire and my work in Lake Bluff. Over the years, I’ve come to really appreciate Highwood’s charm, sense of community, and its incredible variety of restaurants.
Allison’s family: mom, dad and brother Darren
What are one or two fun facts to know about you? Any risk or accomplishments?
On the day of my 24th birthday, I packed up all my belongings (minus a few I saved at my parents house) and moved to Colorado. While I had a place to live and knew a few people living in the Denver area, I didn’t have a job and really had no idea what I was going to do. I eventually became the front desk manager at a health club in downtown Denver – The Denver Athletic Club.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you? Maybe this even ties into your line of work!
“You never know unless you try!” I’ve always embraced opportunities to learn more about myself and step outside my comfort zone. Like anyone, I’ve experienced fear, but I never want to live with regret. So, when something sparks my interest, I go for it. Fear is a natural emotion, but if we learn to move through it, we can push past self-imposed limits and discover success in places we never expected.
Let’s get down to business. Congratulations on the recent launch of your new business, Mindset Mastery with Allison. Tell us all about this.
I started thinking about becoming a Mental Performance Coach after COVID because I was seeing my athlete’s struggle with ways to build confidence, release self-doubt, and manage their thoughts. At the time, I had a couple volleyball players who were looking to play at the collegiate level. They were both struggling with game pressure and the ability to overcome/deal with their mistakes quickly. I wanted to be able to help them and give them the tools to be more successful at the next level. While I currently work with mostly female athletes ages 14-18, I also look to expand my work with male athletes of the same ages moving forward.
NSC Conf Student-Athlete Leadership
What are your coaching certifications?
I am a certified Sports Psychology Coach from Spencer Institute and certified Mental Performance Coach from Positive Performance Training.
What are one or two common mindset roadblocks you see in girls’ sports these days?
The most common setbacks for girls’ in sports today is self-doubt or lack of confidence, fear of failure, and the ability to overcome mistakes quickly.
You mentioned something so simple but so effective about setting an intention before a game.
Yes, one of the biggest concepts I talk about with my clients is their need to set intentions for themselves before each practice and game/match. Setting an intention provides them with something to focus on during their competition. Having a specific intention leads them to improved confidence and success because they know they have prepared adequately.
I imagine that changing one’s mindset requires practice just like the sport itself?
Yes, another skill I teach all my clients is the T.E.A.R process which is a thought management technique that helps athletes change their mindset from something negative to something positive.
T = thought, E = emotion, A = action, and R = result.
Athletes all have various situations that trigger them (a bad call from an official or not getting “enough” playing time) and that situation is their reality. Along with that reality is a thought, the thought is connected to an emotion, which can determine their action and provide the athlete with a result (healthy or unhealthy). The idea here is to practice looking at different triggers/situations where they can start to control their thoughts, emotions, and actions to create a positive outcome.
When might it be a good time for a parent to reach out to work with you?
Ideally any time in their athlete’s career. Athletes do NOT have to be struggling to benefit from mental performance coaching (MPC). As a matter of fact – the summer months are the best time because athletes have some time off and they can focus solely on their mindset. With that being said, athletes can also benefit from MPC at any time during their career. I have helped athletes prepare for competition at the college level. I have helped athletes overcome the mental setbacks from injuries. I have helped athletes manage their emotions, overcome mistakes, build confidence, and work better with their teammates. It honestly depends on the needs of the athlete.
Do you work with teams, small groups and 1:1?
I do it all. I have worked mostly with teams and 1-on-1 clients.
What kind of change do athletes tend to see in themselves?
One of the biggest changes that parents share with me about their athletes is their improvement in overall confidence. Their daughter walks onto the court or field knowing how to overcome mistakes using the mistake ritual and they also utilize their positive affirmations that they have created during our sessions along the way. I have had a gymnast’s mom tell me that her daughter now visualizes her routines regularly before she performs, which in turn has improved her scores overall.
Is there anything else we should know about you or business?
Mental performance coaching is so important in athletics today – I think the misconception for parents is that they think their child’s coach is teaching them how to improve their mental game, however, most coaches do NOT know how to teach the mental game and miss this aspect of athletics.
Tell us about your unique partnership in with David Derdiger, owner of Open Flow Acupuncture.
Yes! David Derdiger, owner of Open Flow Acupuncture and I are partnering together and have designed a package called Mental Flow. The package will combine the effects of acupuncture with mental performance coaching for athletes. This opportunity will allow athletes to restore balance, activate their body’s natural healing, and tap into the full power of their mind to elevate performance. In addition, it will unlock one’s full athletic potential–physically and mentally. Learn more and sign up here.
Time to connect!
My website is mmallison-fink.com and connect on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn.
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