Our Faculty

Bill Isola

Athletics Director

 

At WES Since: 1993-2000; 2002- present

What is your philosophy on teaching?
One of the best parts of teaching PE and coaching is the opportunity to work with students on skills, strategies, and teamwork, and then these students have the opportunity to put what they have learned to the test in competition. Win or lose there is always something that can be learned from these opportunities.

If you could choose to meet any person, living or dead, who would it be?
Getting to choose any living person can be very circumstantial depending on what is happening in a person’s life. Right now I would choose my daughter, Emelia, who just went off to her freshman year of college! But I will stick with the spirit of the question and say Norwegian triathlete, Kristian Blummenfelt. He was the gold medalist in Triathlon in the 2020 (…2021) Tokyo Olympics.  He was billed as a strong competitor but not favored to medal. He was close throughout the swim and bike, and during the run was thought to not be as strong as the other competitors and would probably fade. The way this athlete dug deep and left the favorites in his wake was as inspirational as it gets. While others faded in the heat, he only got stronger on his way to a gold medal. I would enjoy hearing his thoughts on his accomplishments and what he was thinking during the race, especially when he made his move. I’d also like to hear about what went into his training and any advice he would give to someone who is trying to achieve a personal goal.

Bio:
Born and raised on Long Island, NY (yes, Long Islanders live ON Long Island),  I moved to the DMV after graduating from Lynchburg College. I now reside in Bethesda with my wife, Meredith, and two children, Emelia (WES ‘17) and William Jack. I’ve worked in education for 30 years with 25 of them spent at WES, where I  am currently the athletics director, Middle School dean of students, and summer camp director. Athletics and fitness have always been a big part of my life and being able to work with students in this capacity has been a pure joy for me. In my free time, I enjoy running, biking, and traveling to new places. I have also been on a personal quest to find the best pizza in the area to rival that from NY. It’s a good thing I enjoy running because the quest continues.