Stories of Play

To the kids at the school where I was a Playworks Coach, being a positive team player wasn’t always the popular thing to do. When I was tasked with coaching the boys basketball team, I learned quickly that I had my work cut out for me. A majority of the kids had never played organized…

Junior Coach Natalie is making Playworks a family tradition. From the very first day, she knew the rules to almost every game, and even some cheers her Playworks coach didn’t know. It turns out Natalie had been learning what it means to be a Junior Coach since seeing her older sister Abby serve in the…

Sharifa Mohamed has worked as a noon hour aide for the last five years. The same group of enthusiastic aides had been on their school’s playground for years, helping to provide a safe space for kids to laugh, learn, and play. Sharifa had a passion for working with children and approached Playworks eager for more…

Austin is the smallest kid in his grade. He is sometimes teased by his peers, but he has a determined attitude and is confident he can do anything he if he practices. I encouraged Austin to sign up for the intramural volleyball team I lead as his school’s Playworks Coach. At the first day of…

Chanceline is originally from Africa where she says school looks, sounds, and feels much different than here in the United States. She says that here school is “great because it’s normal and fun, if you get it wrong, you try again.” Chanceline moved to the United States with several brothers and sisters, and loves to…

During my time as a Playworks coach, there were many kids and experiences that touched my life, but none more so than a first grader Elijah. Elijah was new to the school, and at the beginning of the year, was having a difficult time adjusting to the school and making friends. He often spent his…

During my first week of recess at Stansbury, I met a little boy named Brian. I noticed Brian immediately because he is the only student in a school of 940 kids who uses a wheelchair Brian spent recess off to the side, alone, watching his classmates play soccer. That first week, I went over and…

Kelly Darchuk, a third grade teacher at the Tobin K-8 School since the 2017-18 school year, talks about her challenges as a first year teacher. During my first year of teaching, I was challenged to deal with a continually changing group of students. It was important to me that the classroom community was strong and…

“A well-rounded childhood is when a child has everything they need to learn and live in a respectful safe way,” Junior Coach Nafis explains to legislators and staffers at the Pennsylvania Capitol today. Junior Coach Nafis shared firsthand experience of how a safe and inclusive playground can still be fun! State and community representatives put…