As we reflect on the past year, there are so many moments that brought us joy. Here are ten moments that top the charts!
1. In March, one of our incredible AmeriCorps Coaches hosted a full day hockey tournament with her students. With equipment donated from the Boston Bruins, Coach Sara taught students how to dribble, pass, and shoot in hockey and culminated their hockey curriculum with a tournament!
2. At our Get in the Game Breakfast in May, we had the pleasure of honoring our Coach of the Year and Principal of the Year. We heard Coach Shelby and Carolina speak about the power of play and why now is the time to prioritize it in schools, and got to experience a lovely morning of connecting, playing, and hearing about Playworks’ impact at the breakfast.
3. Over 80 elementary aged girls from Playworks schools across Boston gathered at the Boston Center for Youth and Families’ Recreation Center on a Saturday in May for our first ever Girls Basketball Extravaganza, with the goal of learning the fundamentals of basketball!
4. June 4, 2022 was a day to remember as we hosted our first ever Junior Coach Graduation Ceremony. With over 160 students from schools across Boston, Lawrence, and New Bedford coming together, the day was full of games, joy, and celebrating their leadership throughout the year.
5. Over the summer we were busy painting playgrounds across New England! A freshly painted blacktop with new 4-square courts, tag boxes, and hopscotches can make a world of a difference and bring tons of joy to students and the school community. Huge thank you to our corporate partners for helping spread that joy across our region!
6. This summer, Playworks staff from around the country gathered, to learn, connect, and PLAY together at our Summer Recess Retreat!
7. To finish out our 2 week summer Pre-service training for Playworks Staff, we held our first ever POD Olympics complete with an egg toss, Balloon Tag, and dodgeball tournament!
8. In partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation this November, we held a Keep Playing Girls Basketball event through their Athlete Ambassador Program. The evening was full of basketball and inspiring conversation with WNBA superstars Courtney Williams and DiJonai Carrington and Paralympic Medalist Anna Johannes about how to keep girls playing!
9. It may have been the off season, but we still got to Play Ball with the Red Sox Foundation! This fall, we had the best time with Wally and Tessie visiting two of our Playworks partner schools and teaching students how to play baseball, and filling us with joy and love for the game!
10. To wrap up the year at our holiday party, we hosted the Great Playworks Bake Off. Individuals competed with a cookie decorating contest, a snowflake cutting technical challenge, and a team-building gingerbread house competition. It ended our year together full of laughter, friendly competition, and joy.
