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


June 20, 2024

Games to Play this Summer ›

Summertime is here!  The first few weeks of summer bring fun and excitement and the return of free time and fun, seasonal activities. But as the summer stretches on, it…

May 29, 2024

2024 International Day of Play ›

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted June 11 as the International Day of Play. This global celebration was established to champion and protect children’s right to play. On this…

group photo from event
group photo from event

April 10, 2024

Growing Play in the Twin Cities ›

Minnesota School District Recognized as a Blue Shirt District Playworks’ first Blue Shirt District in Minnesota was announced today: North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District 622 (District 622). The recognition uplifts…