Coach Sam is a first year program coordinator at the Neighborhood House Charter School (NHCS) in Dorchester. This is the first year of Playworks programming at the NHCS and Coach Sam is making an incredible difference in the community.
NHCS became a well-known school with a heartbreaking story after one of their students, Martin, became a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing. A school that was stricken with grief and social-emotional tension would soon prove to be a school that overcame the odds, rebuilding a healthy community with the help of Coach Sam. In just a few months, Coach Sam has become an invaluable member of the NHCS community, bringing play, fun, and life back into a disheartened environment.
Coach Sam has debuted a “shout out” portion of his Class Game Times, where students and teachers can give appreciations to others in the classroom. Students are beginning to recognize one another for good sporting behavior or lending a helping hand during a game. Coach Sam is also teaching his students how to celebrate successes and express gratitude to one another while playing games. Additionally, on Fridays Coach Sam is taking part of the NHCS school-wide award ceremony where students are acknowledged for their achievements. Coach Sam came up with a wonderful idea to create Playworks awards for his students. Students are given awards for exemplifying the four Playworks core values – Healthy Community, Healthy Play, Respect and Inclusion.
Coach Sam continues to make excellent happen at his school by building a fantastic Junior Coach Program. Over the course of year, Coach Sam has empowered his Junior Coaches and given them the skills to learn, lead and thrive in and out of the classroom. The Junior Coaches at NHCS recently took the initiative to create a Playworks newsletter for the entire school. The newsletter highlights different games, players of the week and any other important Playworks news. The Junior Coaches are writing, editing and publishing this newspaper entirely on their own. Coach Sam is committed to the Playworks Massachusetts movement. With his dedication and great passion for building a healthy community, we are confident Coach Sam will continue to make excellent happen throughout Massachusetts.
