Meet Coach Derrick
At first, “Student Of The Game” was just Derrick Easterling’s fighting name. Once he retired as a fighter, he went through an identity crisis, all revolving around the question “Who am I after fighting if everyone knows me as just a fighter?”
Derrick realized he used to train in a place of pain and hurt. It was rooted from trauma in life and when the anger ran out, it felt like there was nothing left to fight for.
When he found love, he realized how using that fuel was a healthier and more sustainable way to live.
That’s when he joined a small group of friends in church called the “Dream Team” which allowed him to find his new passion in life – helping people discover their inner champion and find confidence within themselves through martial arts and weight lifting.
Since then, he has had many clients, some who were never athletic or moved their body. Derrick saw that once they started losing weight and gaining muscle, they started to have more self belief and confidence. That’s what pushed him even further in his passion.
He underwent the discipleship program, School of Leadership, which was all about being a leader. He took the experience from that program to adapt it to teaching. That’s when SOTG became a ministry of helping people discover who they are – from embracing your inner crazy to getting 1% better every day.
Mission Statement
The SOTG Lifestyle is all about helping people discover and embrace themselves fully. While it is tied to fitness and martial arts, it is deeply connected to the mission of self love and self belief. SOTG is a lifestyle, rooted in biblical principles that help nurture and strengthen both the body and mind.
SOTG Culture and Values
Become a student of the game
Whether it’s a talent, a skill, a hobby, or anything outside of what society boxes you into, devote your life and your purpose to be the best version of yourself in that pursuit.
This can be in fatherhood or in being a brother, an artist, a musician, a chef – anything that stimulates your creative genius. As long as you fully dedicate yourself to that game, you can surrender as a student.
Honor your craft
It’s all about embracing the process of your craft and building an intimate relationship with the game that you’re in. Devote yourself to it, set a goal and go through the cycles of good/bad/ugly until it becomes part of you.
White belt attitude
Always have an attitude that is seeking improvement and striving for progress. Be humble in receiving corrections or criticisms from others without taking it as an insult. Reframe your attitude by looking at corrections as a way to progress.
Black belt mentality
Always be professional and goal oriented. Keep executing that goal till you make it to the finish line.
Embrace your inner crazy
Go after that thing that scares you the most. The moment you tell yourself “I want to be a world champion” and your subconscious tells you “You’re crazy!”, keep fighting until that subconscious voice changes its mind.
Think about GOAL: Growing Over All Limitations. In order to reach that goal, you have to grow into the person you need to be. You’re not the champion when you get the belt, you’re the champion as soon as you see it in your mind and start acting on it.
Get 1% better each day
The formula is HPPO: Habits, process, performance, outcome
Once you set a goal, follow the HPPO. You have to think about what habits you need and what the process is in order to achieve your goals. After you figure that out, you have to do the work by applying all the habits and processes in order to perform it. Then think, did it result in your desired outcome?
Reassess each day, each week, each month, until it reflects your goals. Celebrate the small things to remind yourself how much progress you make each time you commit to your game.