It’s recess at Whittier Elementary, and the blacktop is filled with activity. Two students in purple shirts emblazoned with the title “Junior Coach” are organizing a game of four-square as a student in a matching shirt carries play equipment toward a smaller play area. Another student joins a small group gathered near a basketball hoop and hands over one of the balls she’s carrying, encouraging them to start playing.

In partnership with Playworks, junior coaches help build a welcoming and positive playground culture. Students in grades four through six serve as peer mentors during recess times by leading games, inviting participation, and resolving minor disagreements. In the process, they gain confidence, leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

“By involving students in setting and supporting behavior expectations on the playground, we are giving them ownership of their campus. We started the Junior Coach Leadership program with Playworks last year, and I knew it would take time to build. But I was surprised at how quickly students became leaders,” said Principal Dr. José Montaño.

Every other week, a coach from Playworks meets with each class to teach students a new playground game. During a lunchtime meeting with the school’s junior coaches, they review the rules of the game, discuss ideas the students have, and work on developing public speaking and conflict resolution skills.

“The program is designed to set kids up for success, not just in school, but in life. We have kids with natural leadership tendencies, and we have kids who need a new direction. Being junior coaches gives them purposeful and intentional opportunities to shine,” Dr. Montaño said.

Students who are accepted into the program are given special shirts that make them easily identifiable to their peers as junior coaches. They are assigned recess shifts and are required to show up prepared for their duties and meetings, be on time, and be accountable. “It’s like having a job!” exclaimed fifth-grader Mishka Mite. “I love it, though. If we just let everyone do whatever they want during recess, the whole playground would be a mess. We help kids be safe, and we get to make fun games for everyone.”

When asked, the junior coaches agreed that the hardest part of their role has been learning to get their peers to listen to them. “Other kids will try to boss us around or be disrespectful. But if you use an appropriate voice, like a calm, strong voice, and you talk things out with them — like, ‘Do you think that was safe, responsible, and respectful?’ — it helps them calm down and see what they’re doing wrong,” said  Jasmine Gallardo Colocho, a fifth-grade student who works as coach alongside her twin sister, Jacqueline. 

“It’s easier with the little kids because they listen more to us,” said Maddie Muñoz-Urbina, a fourth-grader who joined the program because she enjoys learning and teaching new games. 

For sixth-grader Desmond Seckman, it’s the learning opportunities that led him to become a junior coach. “The life skills we learn are helpful in class and in ASB,” said Desmond, the school’s student government secretary. “I feel more confident solving problems.”

According to Dr. Montaño, there has been a measurable impact at recess time. “I used to come out at recess and see some kids on the play structure and a lot of kids sitting to the side; all the benches were covered,” he recalled. “But now, the benches are mostly empty. Kids are playing on the playground; they’re playing tetherball, four-square, and other games on the blacktop. This program has been amazing for our school.”

As the final recess period concluded, the junior coaches cleared the blacktop of equipment. They checked in with one another and school staff as their peers lined up to return to classrooms. 

For these student leaders, the lessons extend far beyond the playground. Through responsibility, communication, teamwork, and accountability, Whittier’s junior coaches are building skills that will serve them in middle school and beyond. By learning how to lead with empathy, solve problems collaboratively, and support others, these students are shaping a safer, more inclusive recess environment and learning to be leaders.