Meet Our Founder

Coach Dana Cooper was born and raised in the city of Detroit. Sport involvement was an integral part of her childhood and family values.

As an accomplished student-athlete in her prime, she excelled in volleyball, softball, cheer and track at St. Martin DePorres HS. After high school, she started her coaching career right away, while working on her undergrad degree from Saginaw Valley State University in Psychology (minor in Coaching & Communication). In 2005 she completed her Masters Degree at Wayne State University in Sports Administration, while growing the largest middle school volleyball program in the city of Detroit for a nonprofit called Detroit Police Athletic League.

Coach Cooper founded Volleyball Elite in 2009, after playing AAU volleyball herself and realizing that there were no travel teams in the city of Detroit at that time. Not to mention, the disproportionate number of elite opportunities available for young girls. After working in nonprofit and growing girls’ sports in the city of Detroit, Dana knew it was her life’s passion to be a voice and advocate for change for young women. She paved her own way, eventually becoming the youngest director at the nonprofit organization at that time. She continued her work around youth engagement, volleyball development and continued to create elite opportunities for young female student-athletes. Volleyball Elite has since grown tremendously and have afforded many young ladies the opportunity to be successful students and student-athletes.

Over 20 years of coaching later, this is still her life’s passion. Her motto: YOU CAN ONLY GO AS FAR AS YOU PUSH! So, PUSH HARDER!

* BA in Psychology, minor in Coaching from SVSU
* MA in Sport Administration from WSU
* Started coaching in 2000
* Has coached middle and high school for Chandler Park HS, Southfield Lathrup, Southfield HS, Bradford Academy, Inkster High School, Southfield Christian and more
* Director at Detroit Police Athletic League