Coach Zach is a first-year Playworks coach at the Gardner Pilot Academy (GPA) in Allston. This year, Coach Zach has gone above and beyond to engage his students through leadership and community building opportunities. Zach’s proactive work ethic and dedication to his students has set him apart as a role model in his school community and an exemplary member of the Playworks team.
In addition to his duties as a Playworks Coach—running recess, Class Game Time, Junior Coach training, and youth sports leagues—Coach Zach has implemented a Friday morning leadership program with elementary school students and a mentorship program with eighth graders at GPA. Zach is developing these older students as peer leaders who assist him in leading activities with kindergarten through second-grade students.
Coach Zach is highly involved with his school community and frequently attends school events to build relationships with faculty and students. He is constantly collaborating with GPA staff members on ways to improve their recess environment. Zach even came to school on a snow day to shovel the playground and ensure students would have a safe place to play when they returned.
Coach Zach is also setting an example among his peers at Playworks. During February, Playworks employees take part in a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to #ShareTheLoveOfPlay. Zach has quickly emerged as one of our top fundraisers, using his campaign as a platform to share the hard work that he and his fellow Playworks coaches put into schools every day.
We are proud to have a passionate, hard-working coach like Zach representing Playworks in the Boston community. We are confident that through his positivity and unwavering commitment to his students that he will continue to make excellent happen at GPA and beyond.
