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

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...