"What will they say?" This reflection comes from a sermon I heard at church this morning. "What will they say about you when you leave this earth?" I often think about this and how I approach the human experience, from both spectrums. I've hurt people on my journey and still think about the times I shoulda, coulda, woulda done better. What I think about most is how do I counteract some of my early mistakes with good? What would my wife, children, close associates say on the inevitable day when I am no longer there to defend my actions? In my wiser years this is my guiding compass. I can't change the past, but I can learn from it. Not only can I do better, I can coach those who I see are facing similar circumstances by offering them a choice. The choice to make the same mistakes or take the wisdom and do better than I did. This week, a teenage student athlete pulled me aside during class to share his struggles with following his own path versus doing what his father wants. In that moment, I got to offer him my perspective while respecting his father at the same time. It isn't just philosophical, it's practical. With each high five, each time I listen without distraction, each time I message someone close just to let them know I am thinking of them, builds what I hope fills churches one day. "Coach Vern, Vernon, My husband, My daddy, My mentor, My friend was patient, always striving to do better than yesterday. He was a man who wanted to heal hearts and grow minds. He was a man who was relentless in the pursuit of community. His convictions revolved around kindness through the help of others, sometimes to his own detriment. He is and always will be a light and an example of, no matter the circumstances you can become undeniable." Accomplished this week - STORM team met over the weekend - 10 members in our SKOOL Community! Thank You! - Published a LinkedIn article about how parental entitlement impacts our kids. Click here! - Reviewed 6 chapters of the Powerful Parenting Playbook - Trained over at Neutral Ground HQ with some awesome teammates - Represented Utopia Martial Arts at Grafton High School career day - gave teens permission to not have it figured out yet and honored their potential instead of lecturing about my path

What is your weekly win as well as your weekly goal! Lets work together to get some roadblocks out of the way!

One of the habits I’ve leaned on for years is visualization — not just looking back, but also looking forward. This week I’ve been future pacing next Saturday’s Quintet, visualizing what it will feel like the Sunday after. I see myself sore but healthy, no injuries. I feel the pride of representing our academy not just in competition, but in character adapting when things don’t go to plan, fighting with resilience, and carrying humility whether the scoreboard favors me or not. That’s the version I’m training toward right now. Wins from the Week: - Laila back in school and settling into routine 🙌 - Knocked out a bunch of operational tasks behind the scenes for Coach V3 - Training ramped up and on track leading into competition week - Quality time with friends at Tosa Fest, good balance outside the grind Challenges: - Balancing heavy operations work with training load - Keeping mental focus tight with Quintet looming (not letting anxious energy scatter me) - Still refining the first lead magnet direction for Coach V3 To-Dos for the Week Ahead: - Finalize taper plan + recovery leading into Saturday - Stay consistent with Scorecard + EOS check-ins - Close remaining operational loops before Quintet (no loose ends) - Be fully present at home with family while energy is on the mats Random Thoughts/Ideas: - Humility was last's months word of the month at the academy, it ties perfectly into this next week. Competing with humility means telling my athletes, “Yes, Coach Vern gets scared too. And still steps forward.” - Visualization isn’t just a habit, it’s a weapon. Future pacing helps me control what I can and face what I can’t with resilience. - Sometimes the best training is outside the gym. Dinners, festivals, and moments where you’re simply human with your people. If you find these reflections valuable, stick around. This isn’t just about coaching or competing, it’s about showing up as the next version of yourself, week after week.

I’m not 100% sure why you’re here, or what you want to get out of this community… but I can promise this: We will be here with you, helping however we can, as you move closer to where you want to be. To kick things off, here are 4 quick steps to get plugged in: Step 1: Introduce yourself if you haven’t already + share why you joined. Step 2: Share one parenting or coaching challenge you’re currently facing. Step 3: Drop a rapid-fire win (big or small) from this week. Step 4: Share your socials if you’d like us to connect outside Skool. And if you’d like to stay connected with me outside the community: 👉 Instagram: @coachvern_utopiabjj 👉 Facebook: Vernon Thornton 👉TikTok: @coachvern_utopiabjj Excited to see this community grow together 🙌

One of the main reasons parents get their children into martial arts is to grow confidence. Your child’s confidence isn’t built in the big moments. It’s built in the small, consistent habits at home. Simple things like presence, encouragement after effort (not just wins), and listening to understand their perspective are those small and powerful habits that will get your student athlete ready for the world. Question for you: What’s one small habit you already use that helps your child feel confident?