Sports

In Motion: Girls on the Run Teaches Kids About Running and Life

The growing nationwide program will reach 450 Puget Sound-area girls this spring.

The girls lined up at center court in the elementary school gymnasium.

At one end of the gym, a plastic cone symbolized “Agree.” At the other end, another cone stood for “Disagree.”

The volunteer Girls on the Run coach read a statement out loud to the group: “It’s never OK to lie."

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Some girls immediately dashed to the Agree cone and performed 10 jumping jacks. Others ran to Disagree, also completing the 10 jumping jacks. And a few, after pondering the statement for a moment, couldn’t make up their minds. They stayed put at center court, doing 25 jumping jacks.

This is Girls on the Run, an exercise program that focuses on values and personal growth. Through the 10-week session, girls in third through fifth grade tackle topics like bullying, gossip, nutrition and friendship – all while running increasing distances.

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At the end of the 10 weeks, the girls complete a 5K run at Seward Park. Some run the entire race; others walk. No clocks time the race. At Girls on the Run, it’s not about speed.

“We don’t care if you run, hop, walk or skip across the finish,” said Kerin Brasch, Executive Director for Girls on the Run of Puget Sound. “We just want you to get there.”

Molly Barker, an avid runner, founded Girls on the Run in Charlotte, N.C., in 1996. Barker thought she could empower young girls by teaching them running and goal-setting. Her original aim continues today, even as Girls on the Run has expanded to 171 cities and 80,000 young participants across the country.

“Our mission is to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of learning,” Brasch said.

The program came to the Puget Sound area in 2002, at just one school. It since has grown to 60 school sites around the Sound, from Shoreline in the north end to Tukwila down south to several cities on the Eastside. This spring’s program will involve 450 girls and 100 volunteer coaches.

Girls on the Run groups meet twice a week after school for 10 weeks. The girls gather for a snack and the coach introduces the day’s topic. Next, the girls engage in an activity -- which can range from a scavenger hunt to relay race -- that incorporates some of the lessons surrounding that week’s theme.

Though the girls may already attend school with each other and talk to one another on a regular basis, the structured discussion time often introduces a new dimension to their friendships. Brasch recalled one student remarking that even though all of the girls were her friends, she’d never voiced her opinions so openly before.

“Today, I had a safe place to disagree with them,” the girl said, according to Brasch.

After the day’s activity, the girls run. Each week, coaches increase the number of laps the girls will tackle. Some coaches give out prizes as incentives. Girls delight at earning one current hot elementary school commodity – colorful rubber bands decorated with dinosaurs or other shapes. They proudly wear the bands on their wrists at school, explaining to other students “This is because I’m part of a running club.”

At week seven, the girls participate in a trial 5K run. For this practice, volunteer running buddies team with each girl. The running buddy will return for the official 5K at Seward Park at the end of the 10-week session, and will help her student reach the finish line.

Girls of the Run holds sessions each fall and spring. Girls can still sign up for the spring session, which starts March 7 and culminates with the 5K on May 21. The program costs $150, but financial aid is available.

“We don’t turn anyone away,” Brasch said.

The program still needs volunteers. For someone with a flexible schedule and time, the coaching positions require a twice-weekly, mid-afternoon commitment. For those who want to get involved but can’t meet that regularly, Girls on the Run needs more running buddies. Those volunteers need be available only three times: in mid-April to meet the coach, in early May for the practice 5K, and on May 21 for the final race.

For Brasch and many of the volunteers, the real reward comes from seeing the excitement as the girls cross the finish line in Seward Park. Brasch recalled a young girl in her neighborhood who joined Girls on the Run because her parents talked her into it. Though reluctant and nervous at first, the girl discovered she actually enjoyed exercise.

“I love to run now,” the girl said with a grin.


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