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

If everyone is special then everyone is similar and then ‘special’ is not so special anymore. Special denotes a separation, a distinction from the norm. It is not average. With that in mind, are there people who are special? As the seasoned learner knows well, inherent talent and genes, perhaps our socio-economic platform in life all may serve up advantages setting the stage to easing the ability to be ‘specialized’ in something, like a trade, a craft or a unique ability.     Becoming very effective and efficient at something while being able to smoothly adapt to changing ground conditions is a special trait that can be flexed and made muscular according to practice. The more we stick at doing something, especially if we are passionate about it, the more we move into that specialized territory.  Recently, I was perfecting a basic skateboarding ollie (which I managed to do over and over again), yet Brian, who has been practicing street course skating far l...

I don't find my students. I put my bread in the water and the students find me. Where is his strength? Is this the teacher? Oh. I see now. Let's do this. I got this! A great coach role-models, leads, supports, instructs, guides, corrects, mentors... and gets out of the way. Coaching then, is an art of balancing the player's strengths, fleshing out talents, strengthening deficits naturally and nurturing the mind and heart to reach higher levels of performance. Learning is not just a solitary action anymore with this understanding, but a humbling mindset that opens the mind to receive.  A central tenant to coaching duties is being able to impart knowledge so that learning can happen. The effective transfer of intellectual property comes easily when you seek to engage the mind via the heart first. Understanding that the mind and heart move the body, just like a small tiller directs a large ship, a great coach becomes sensitive to the player's wellbeing. The...