QUINCY, Ill. – Walking into Quincy High School is a familiar feeling for Timmer Willing, the head coach of the University of California San Diego men's tennis team. A Quincy, Ill. native, Willing was once a student there himself. When Willing most recently returned to his former school on the banks of the Mississippi River, it was for more than just a desire to return home. He was there to share with educators at the Quincy Conference how to best serve students on the autism spectrum.
 
Willing's desire to help students on the autism spectrum can be traced back to an experience at UC San Diego. Terrence Patridge, a young man with autism, served as the honorary team captain for the men's tennis team. Patridge starred in the documentary Bass Clef Bliss: Terrence's Path, which was developed into curriculum to help students with autism.
 
"It all started with Patrick Scott, who produced the movie, and he's been trying to get it around the country, starting in California," Willing recalled. "It's been developed into a curriculum for those that are on the spectrum and addressing the needs that are happening within the classroom. This was an opportunity for me to take it to an area I'm familiar with and bridge that gap with another public school system."
 
The curriculum consists of different films, including Bass Clef Bliss: Terrence's Path, student workbooks, and guidebooks for teachers. At the educators' conference, Willing introduced the attendees to the curriculum.
 
"We did some screenings at the conference, promoted the film, and put it out there for the teachers, educators, and administrators," said Willing. "We said, 'This is an opportunity you can use to help a situation in a classroom, promote the curriculum, and get some workbooks started in order to embrace, accept, and help those in need on the spectrum.'"
 
Although Willing admits that being in front of the educators was a challenge for him, he was grateful for the positive response he witnessed.
 
"It was tough for me," Willing shared. "I'm outside of my comfort zone. I'm not on the tennis court; I'm in a classroom. It was a little difficult in that aspect, but we got good feedback.
 
"It was pretty eye-opening for me because some teachers have their own children with autism, and they feel… like they're being isolated… It was pretty heartfelt for a lot of the administrators and they're really looking for the things, tools, and vehicles that they need to help in their own classrooms."
 
Willing feels that music and sports are both key areas for helping end the isolation of students with autism.
 
"Some of those who are on the spectrum seem to have a strong ability for music, and the athletes within the sports environment are very accepting," Willing explained. "They take those individuals that need help, and they're really good about helping and including them in their activities and making them a part of the team, so those are two of the areas that seem to reflect well with the curriculum."
 
Willing has witnessed an inclusive environment among his scholar-athletes firsthand. Reflecting back on his team's experience with Patridge, Willing is proud to see his team's efforts to embrace those on the autism spectrum and how far the curriculum has come since then.
 
"It really makes me feel good as a coach to know that from years past, our alumni are the ones that helped introduce this onto campus," Willing said. "It's gone through and been researched at UC San Diego. It's been proven to be successful. [It feels good] knowing that years ago that this started and it's continuing today with the current class."
 
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country.  The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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