Meet Coach MJ

  1. Updates

Coach MJ is a proud Minnesota native, born and bred in South Minneapolis. Before joining the Playworks family for the start of the 2013-14 school year, Coach MJ was working with the YMCA.  For the past two years he's been bringing rock, paper, scissors, cheers, and high-fives to the students and faculty of Lucy Laney Elementary School in North Minneapolis, and loving every minute of it!
 
What was your favorite recess game growing up:
As a kid, my two favorite games were football and four-square.
Has it changed now that you're a coach:
Now that I'm a coach, wall-ball is my new favorite 
What is the best part about being a coach:
The best part about being a coach are the interactions I get to have with the students and staff—bringing out a healthy community.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go:
I want to visit Jamaica one day. A tropical paradise!
 
 
 

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 question: what are the intersections between play, social and emotional learning, physical activity, and trauma? A working group focused on this question decided, among other…

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, have demonstrated precisely how and why play works to help kids learn and grow in the most positive and healthy ways. Jill gathered stories from people…

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 important than ever due to the isolation that our kids have endured during COVID-19. Play encourages creativity, flexibility, teamwork, and other critical social skills. We’ve…