Philosophy in the Arena of Life
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Beyond the classroom, my work takes the form of coaching in two distinct but related settings. One is the Stoic Gymnasium, a structured program of mental training and group mentoring grounded in ancient Stoic philosophy. The other is football coaching, where character formation takes place in a competitive, high-pressure environment.
Though different in form, my work in both contexts has the same purpose of fostering moral growth and psychological resilience. |
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Stoic Gymnasium
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The Stoics held that the aim of philosophy is to achieve eudaimonia, a flourishing and successful human life. What distinguished them from rival schools was their striking claim that virtue alone is sufficient for such a life.
Unlike Plato and Aristotle, who tied moral excellence to one's upbringing, the Stoics maintained that moral growth is possible at any age. They devised powerful mental exercises and reframing techniques to facilitate such growth, many of which have influenced modern psychotherapy. Stoic Gymnasium applies these insights in a structured, collaborative setting. Each session centers on a specific theme—responding to setbacks, reducing anxiety, confronting mortality—and combines philosophical discussion with deliberate practice. We engage in exercises such as values clarification and negative visualisation, and we practice reframing techniques including the dichotomy of control and the view from above. While these techniques are ancient, their efficacy is supported by modern research. Data from the 2025 Stoic Week Report shows that even short-term practice leads to significant measurable increases in life satisfaction, mental well-being, and positive emotion. Feedback from Stoic Gymnasium participants echoes these findings. I can't fully express how beneficial Stoic Gym was for me last semester. I learned an array of strategies for internal tranquility and saw the importance of vulnerability. A while back I put the ‘worry tree’ hand-out on the fridge at home. My mum is a very anxious person but loved the Stoic ideas. Whenever we catch each other spiraling, we challenge each other to go back to the tree! The most important thing I learned was the outside-inside rule where if it’s not happening outside, then it’s not happening inside. This helped to ease my anxiety about things in the future and to remind myself that once something is over, it doesn’t need to occupy space in my mind anymore. Reflecting on what aspects of my life I gave more effort to was incredibly eye-opening. As silly as it sounds, I had never considered how giving more time and effort to a certain aspect of life would significantly impact other areas of my life. This is because I never took a moment to step back and question my daily actions. I think Stoic Gym created the most honest group discussions I’ve ever been a part of. I felt an absence of judgement, and that was a very special space to be part of. |
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Chaparral Football
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I played four years of football at Chaparral High School before continuing at the college level for another five seasons. In 2024, I returned to Chaparral as a volunteer under Coach Lenny Abt—the same coach I played for in 1998.
My primary responsibilities were in special teams and the defensive line, but my main contribution was cultivating confidence, leadership, and resilience in our players. Stoic reframing is especially valuable in football, where most of what happens is beyond any one individual's control, making it easy to succumb to frustration and blame. I incorporated techniques such as the dichotomy of control and the wand of Hermes into my coaching, emphasizing disciplined response over reactive emotion. In 2026, while on long service leave, I will re-join the Chaparral staff for the senior season of the group I coached in 2024. The Socrates Award Initiated in 2024, the Socrates Award is presented to a player who exemplifies the virtues of Socrates—especially courage, integrity, and humility. The award reflects the conviction that character matters as much as performance, and that leadership begins with self-examination. The inaugural award was presented to Max Mangini at the 2024 end-of-season celebration.
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