Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

Part 1 -Understanding the Chess Players and Current Positions on the Game Board In chess, moving one singular piece forward without tactical backup, defense or collaboration can many a times spell the capture of that piece and signal futility in moves made to the advantage of an opponent who may be more judicious in how they ‘open up’ and establish their strategy. Their in, one’s ability to create the outcome for victory can be sidelined in the short-term and narrow interest of simply galavanting across the board towards a skillful adversary. In the interplay of international relations, such as those between Israel and Palestine, it could be said that the chess board and number of pieces, even the number of players, have greatly expanded to become nothing less than a five dimensional game kept in stagnant check. Each side unwilling to forfeit the possibility of position, which can imply a loss of physical territory, loss of the political power of specific managing players, and ...

I n a game of chess, civility between players is an expected part of the game. For #theGentleman, a student I work with is on the autism spectrum, chess has been a game we have employed over the six plus years I have been allowed to coach him.  A main skill we work on is being a gentleman wether we win or lose. That is a big deal. A game like chess can serve as a microcosm of life in general that allows the players to practice winning and losing well. For example, I played against my grandfather for three years before ever winning a match. Did I lose out each time, or was I winning experience that eventually allowed me to be the winner? Being a gracious loser is more valuable than being an obnoxious winner then. #theGentleman use to have great difficulty in accepting defeat. Through all the chess games we have played, his trajectory on how he handles the circumstance of winning and losing has shifted in large part, due to the growth mindset conversations we have. I exp...

Scalzi Originals Foundation The purpose of the foundation is to facilitate a revitalization of community by introducing fun, effective, practical activities for youth and adults.  The cognitive-physical empowerment aspect of the Scalzi Originals Foundation of youth and their families is central to the vision. This includes providing our services to individuals on the autism spectrum, with Downs Syndrome and other special needs. Likewise, the focused development of executive function skills, soft skills, motor coordination and emotional intelligence is at the core of the foundations mission. Sensitive to the lack of access of such programs in both affluent and poor neighborhoods, the foundation focuses on using social entrepreneurial practices to help bring about the revitalization of communities through its diverse actions. Acting as a social enterprise, the inception of specific programs, like skateboarding, basketball, soccer and baseball, chess, music, art, ga...

Should social entrepreneurship be practiced in grade school?  Can this passionate occupation bolster local economies and tone the vibrancy of what it means to have a cohesive community? Understandably, not everyone wants to be entrepreneurial or may be fit to be an entrepreneur. It is a constant hustle with no one to tell you to move faster, slower or more precisely. There is no glamour in failing constantly and there is no one to pat you on the back when you succeed. But when the entrepreneur turns the focus on strengthening the fabric of their community the future begins to include a great number of people who's hearts are moved to direct their own shoulders to the plow. Caring for others can become dynamic and unique. No large corporation has cornered the market on what it means to be a social entrepreneur. The wonderful aspect of this practice is that our own individuality can shine through our work to help others raise their quality of living.  The social entrep...

In chess, it is crucial to assert control of the board early on. The agile chess player does so by masterminding the beginning moves. Trotting out the valuable pieces front and center, as opposed to playing a pawn game early on allows the player to control and limit the forward momentum of his or her opponent. Likewise, limiting tactical maneuvering by 'controlling the board' throws the opponent into limiting possible strategies. In the best of cases, the opponent is forced to play a 'pawn game.' Dutch legend Johan Cruyff elevated the game of soccer to a new standard of sportsmanship and executive function by being the biggest promoter of a fluid and adaptable strategy to win games called 'Total Football.' Cruyff was keen on spatial awareness and had a mind focused on where to run to using his foresight (the ability to anticipate and predict), where to hold ground and when not to move on the 'pitch,' or what is known as the soccer field. His...

Driving a race car takes more than stepping on a gas pedal and turning a wheel. It takes epic executive function skill usage. A NASCAR driver must know how to gauge, pace and focus on an ever-changing battle field where the other racers jockey for position in order to win. Like a game of chess, race car drivers must use their foresight (anticipate, predict) and keen sense of timing to know when to make a move, pull ahead, hold tight or come in for a pit stop. The pit crew must also have tip-top  executive function skills as they recalibrate, change up and get the super-charger roadster back on the road in two shakes of a lamb's tale. The road crew of individuals each have their key duties which they must focus on as they work together in harmony to bring up to speed and release the speedster back into the race. Of course, from the stands, it may look as if they cars are just going around in round, yet the relationships that bring each racing team to the track form the foundati...

Image: Neural Synaptic Connection Kids and adults with strong right hemispheric strengths but weaker effective application of left hemispheric traits and characteristics are commonly known as having attentional deficits.   This mental balance impacts critical thinking and normal decision making. By bringing in natural activities tailored to the individual we can create the conditions for 'synaptic neural connections' or bridges between the right and the left hemisphere. By doing so consistently... you develop these hemispheric and executive function skills bridges. This can mean faster processing speed for you or your child, if you are a parent. Caveat: Rewiring your brain takes time. Be patient and focus on enjoying the experience, not some end result. The development of executive function skills needs for an adult individual or a child in a family needs to fun and practical to be effective over the long haul.  This is why I promote the natural development of our executive fu...

1. Do you know that in the world of social media, one can purchase followers from fake accounts? 2. Did you know that big data crunching now can create mimicry algorithms to tailor masses of nonexistent, fake profiles, complete with blog postings, timely twitter tweets, and yet all strikingly resemblant to your own content? Of course, not everyone in Social Media is a computer-generated fake profile, but their are nonetheless legions of created profiles out their that are at the beck and call of algorithms that can be re-tailored to suit the present needs of a real customer.. like an aspiring presidential candidate, a local political leader running for re-election, a deep pocket corporations looking to seize on a cottage industry...just like the 'industry' of executive function skills development. This is la creme as far as direct marketing is concerned. It's marketing to the power of 10 on nitro in one sense. In another sense, the fake profiles created, if you can actually...

Does one go on a long mission without first making adequate provisions?  Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) is a great example of a person who exemplified a lifestyle that continuously strengthened and toned his executive function skills. He did so while walking away from a life of endless material provisions. Was this smart? Shouldn't he at least have taken out a health care plan from his Dad's kingdom? Did he think this through? How accurate was his foresight during the time he changed his values and principles? Was he able to anticipate and predict what would happen to a high degree? Did he make a reckless decision?  So I ask the question again, does one go on a long mission without first making adequate provisions? What insights can we glean from the lifestyle changes in his life that correlate with keeping one's executive function skills toned? Aside from doing a whole lotta meditating, what were some of his other activities? Can parts of this lifestyle be replicated in the d...

The answer is no. Yet, a home that is made warm, comfortable and nurturing by both parents can provide more warmth than the best commerical home heater system out their. Using a formula system, it is practical, and easily possible for any family, independent of monthly income to make immediate home changes that immediately starts reaping love dividends from your kids. With consistency, a young heart and a growth-oriented mindset, parents can literally showcase and role-model incredibly important life skill tools that lead your children to have higher than strong executive function skills, high emotional intelligence, and an ability to deal with failure that is uncanny. Parents are advised. You may have to get on your hands and knees for some of this tough work. Horseplay, or what some call roughhousing may be a laughing matter to most, but it is actually a very serious matter that is understated and dismissed. Great horseplay entails the parent making it a continous  matter to poin...