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

The growth of a person cannot be lopsided. Inner and outer growth has to be balanced for optimal results. Working with a mindset that everything is possible, I meet my students in a place where there are no limits. Usually, I am always at this location first and then guide in (beam in) my student. With the right approach, a great coach can move a student quickly far beyond what they ever dreamed of once mindsets are shifted. Progress in skateboarding exemplifies this.  Like most endeavors, 'success' springs forward with practice, dedication and commitment. Not just committing to skate, but committing to moving beyond a present skill level. Thus, the mindset is not, "I want to do awesome skateboarding and get really good at it." No, the mindset is, if I just keep at it, little by little, one day at a time, before long I will move across the skill continuum to become a skilled boarder. Skateboarding is engaging and demands mental acumen to be proficient or grea...

The beginning of success starts in the heart. It slowly move its way to the mind and once there, momentarily pauses. It is calculating perceived total effort and drive required to manifest itself.  My students rarely think of ‘success.’ We focus wholeheartedly on process instead. Time goes by and I look back at their progress. The success happens daily in short increments that appear to accumulate over time and consistency. Success is in the details. Establish new ‘forward-operating beachheads’ in the quest for particular excellence is foremost on my coaching mind. That means that I constantly gauge and assess the effort level, motivation and clarity of purpose with my students.  Shedding light on the value behind a purpose becomes an initial priority. I understand that if I want my soldiers to go #allout,  they must be on-board with ‘why’ we work on what we work on. The value in a purpose helps set up a vision of things to come and provides a process fram...

"In any given moment we have two options: to move forward into growth or to step back into safety." -Abraham Maslow To the unexperienced mind, it may seem impossible to sustain the will and conviction to make a positive life change. I find that by getting technical about my thinking,  I (we) can do something everyday to realize the goals that are in our mind and heart, and thus, live life on a whole new level. For example,  because I am sticking to my goals, I am no longer the same person I was two years ago. Transforming oneself does not require we change our values, if those values are worthwhile and healthy. Hold onto solid values and principles that support the genuine well-being of others and you'll find that your non-tangible values sustain your attitude and drive. My exterior, what others see, is in transition as it gallops to catch-up and mirror how I feel and am on the interior.   Being clear on why I pursue my goals retrofits my mind to think and act acc...

A child’s first 5-6 years are a time of cognitive growth and eventually neural pruning, thus what is done with that time is of utmost importance. Recognizing dancing as a versatile, formidable modality for autism intervention is worth parents consideration. For starters, dance therapy is not dance class. With my three students  (on the spectrum) whom I have coached for over five years, I have rolled out the use of dancing as a form of communication, emotional processing, and tool to re-channel stemming behavior. I do not use this modality with every student I coach.  These early years need to be a time of setting precedent for a child with special needs. The development of the below skills can be strengthened in short time with the right teacher setting up the right conditions.  communication skills social skills sensory skills soft skills (grit, resilience, humility, compassion) executive function skills (like sustaining attention, functional balanc...

Knowing how to overcome obstacles/challenges on a consistent basis is a life skill metric that is indispensable. Knowing how to keep your calm when it seems disaster strikes is paramount. Teaching to overcome obstacles and challenges in an effective manner and on a consistent basis is of great value. Recently, I was piloting a laser sailboat with a young child off the shore of Marthas Vineyard. We were moving like the wind. Tacking and jiving. Pleasure to sail with Mr. Happy Face. We sailed for a while within a half mile radius amongst moored boats in the bay.  All was going well.  In fact, my student told me that we should take it up a notch and move even faster. This is just what an executive function skills coach and teacher wants. Mr. Happy Face’s engagement and motivation level all on with the task at hand.  At some point, the hull slipped partially out during a jive and the boat capsized sending us into the water.  We uprighted the laser in...

Channeling one's energy towards a goal with purpose is more important than the release of that energy without great purpose. Without an engaging purpose by which the student sees practical value for them it will not be long before motivation for the activity wanes away.  By bringing an activity like surfing or dancing and presenting it as what could be a life time activity, I look to perfect being keen on delivery and timing. I am careful to roll it out. Dancing is a social activity, it is therapeutic on multiple levels, and a cornerstone concrete activity I use to foster independence with people on the autism spectrum.  Since a student may not want to dance for 15 minutes I will mashup dancing with soccer knee/ leg air ball kicks to keep engagement and motivation moving. I call it soccer dancing, but it can be basketball dancing, or you may create your own mashup to pump motivation levels. One game I love to play with another student is 'adventure mine craft...

Storydancing allows a person to begin to process feelings, ideas, emotions and whatever else is in there by holding those things somewhat in focus as they dance according to metrics, such as: pace focus sustained attention behavior modulation goal-directed persistence self-control self-monitoring short-term working memory mental flexibility (transitions/ shifting) beat rhythm how they feel story line story development story goal Storydancing is not about filling the air with movement and perfect pitch, but about processing and creating new ways of thinking, feeling and being just by dancing one’s way into a new life. It is a concerted effort to bring the movements of the future into the present as much as it is a catch drain that sweeps our heart and mind The actual #storydance itself becomes an analogic (analogy) poem in literal motion that amazingly rewrites how you feel about things, and how you see things. Yes, this is movement therapy. Yes it is...