Meet Coach Brandon

  1. Updates

Coach Brandon is a Minnesota kid through and through. He grew up in Blaine, Minnesota and he’s lived in the Twin Cities most of his life. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 2015 but made his way back to Minnesota soon after. He spends his free time running, listening to music, boating, cooking, disc golfing, playing lawn games with family and friends, and watching his favorite Minnesota sports teams: the Wild, Timberwolves, and Vikings.

Coach Brandon is in his second year as a Playworks coach. He spent last year rocking recess at Whittier Elementary in South Minneapolis and this year he’s bringing that experience to his role as the flex coach where he gets to play at and work with all of Minnesota’s direct-service schools.

What was your favorite recess game growing up?

Soccer! Soccer was my life growing up.

Has your favorite game changed now that you’re a coach?

Yes and no! I love them all including soccer but my favorite recess game at the moment is an incredibly simple and fun game called switch.

What is the best part about being a coach?

The best part about being a coach is the kids. It’s so easy to get up every morning and go to work when you know your day consists of high-fives, smiles, playing games, and hilarious conversations with the coolest kids in the world.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to Switzerland. I’ve always wanted to see the Alps in person.

If you could meet any person, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

Julius Caesar. I was FASCINATED with ancient Rome as a kid so it’d be cool to meet its most iconic figure.

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…