26d • Sunday Reflections
Sunday Reflections: August 31st
At Utopia, our word of the month is humility. I could play it safe and define it each week, hand out generic examples, and check the box. But that’s not leadership. Leadership is lived.
So this week I modeled humility in a way my students didn’t expect.
I told them the truth: “I’m scared. I’m nervous. I’m anxious about my upcoming Quintet.”Their eyes went wide. Jaws dropped. What? Coach Vern scared?
That was the lesson.
Humility isn’t pretending you have no fear. Humility is admitting you’re human. And courage isn’t the absence of fear it’s choosing to step forward with the fear. As the Stoics remind us: “The obstacle is the way.”
Here’s how I framed it for them:
- Fear is natural.
- Courage is action in spite of fear.
- Humility is being honest about both.
Until the day of competition, I’ll keep preparing. I’ll keep showing up on the mats. And I’ll face the obstacle head-on. Not because I have no fear — but because I refuse to let fear make my decisions for me.
Wins from the Week:
- Modeled humility to my students through real vulnerability
- Tested 5 student athletes for advanced class and all passed
- Locked in an EOS check-in system and finished Day 1 post
- Spent time with family while still moving Coach V3 forward
Challenges:
- Still refining our first lead magnet (Playbook Pages may not be the final form)
- Balancing the 9–5 / 5–9 grind continues to test energy management
To-Dos for the Week Ahead:
- Update Scorecard daily with real numbers
- Draft brand one-pager (Mission/Vision/Values pulled cleanly)
- Explore alternative lead magnet ideas
- Post Day 2–Day 4 community content consistently
Random Thoughts / Ideas:
- Humility might be the gateway value for everything else we teach parents and coaches
- Modeling vulnerability to students hits harder than lecturing them about character
- Coach V3 is moving from “concept” to “system” consistency is the multiplier
If you find these reflections valuable, stick around. This space isn’t just about parenting or coaching, it’s about building the kind of leaders our kids deserve.
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Sunday Reflections: August 31st
