Meet Coach Matt

  1. Updates

Coach Matt is rocking his second year as the coach for Whittier Elementary.  Before joining the Playworks team in the Fall of 2012 he was at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, earning a degree in Secondary Education.  After graduation he came to the Twin Cities because of the unlimited opportunities to work in a diverse and progressive school system, and has been handing out high-5s ever since!

What was your favorite recess game growing up:
As a kid my favorite recess game was basketball.

Has it changed now that you’re a coach:
While I still LOVE basketball, as a coach my favorite recess game is Capture the Flag.

What is the best part about being a coach:
The best part of being a coach is the joy you get to bring to hundreds of kids everyday. Nothing beats seeing all the smiling faces and high-5’s you get to see over the course of just one school day.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go:
If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Italy. My grandparents were born in Italy and my mother is Italian so I have family there and it’s really beautiful. Either that or I would go to New Zealand and walk the trail to Mordor.

More Updates


three people with Playworks shirts
three people with Playworks shirts

July 28, 2022

A year of social and emotional learning ›

“You can’t do SEL, trauma, or equity work without each other,” Jennette Claassen, Head of Evaluation, Playworks. As Playworks continued to progress on our equity journey, we explored a critical…

August 24, 2021

Playworks Founder Jill Vialet Publishes ‘Why Play Works’ ›

Play brings out the best in every kid. Over the course of 25 years since Jill Vialet founded Playworks, she and her colleagues, as well as researchers and play experts,…

March 25, 2021

Top 6 Games to Play Physically Distant with No Equipment ›

As more and more schools transition back to in-person learning, we know educators are looking for games that are physically-distant and don’t require equipment. The need for play is more…