General Information for Volunteers
Overview
Girls on the Run® is a character development program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through physical activity, lessons, and mentoring. Girls on the Run® Lexington is delivered in the spring and fall each year – generally February through May and September through December.
Our teams - which consist of 12 girls - meet two times per week sometimes right after school for an hour and fifteen minutes. They are led by two to three coaches, who are trained by the GOTR staff. Most teams begin meeting after school and some on the weekends.
Head coaches are expected to attend every session. Assistant coaches can attend only once a week. Each site has a head coach and one to two assistant coaches. In addition, we like to have 1-2 Running Buddies.
Currently, we only offer the program in Lexington. Coaches may indicate a preference for the site at which they would like to coach. If coaches do not have a preference, we will assign them to a location that is convenient.
We provide thorough training for our coaches in January and August of each year - covering the logistics of the program, general tips about coaching and the program's curriculum. As GOTR® is an international program, there is a well-developed curriculum which we follow that is designed to teach valuable life lessons to girls in third through eighth grades.
Lessons include subjects such as emotional health, values, cooperation, and standing up for oneself. The program finishes with a celebration event that includes a 5K run/walk in the community.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Genuine interest in leading a healthy life.
- Interest in physical fitness or running.
- Commitment to the mission of GOTR.
- Reliable, honest and positive outlook on life.
- Interest in the issues facing young women today.
- Desire to get involved in a nonprofit organization.
HOW THE PROGRAM RUNS
1. Girls on the Run is completely non-competitive - we encourage the girls to do their best. Whether it's walking or running, they just need to keep moving; however, we do try to teach them about pacing themselves.
2. Coaches are provided with the curriculum and all the game pieces prior to the season as well as snacks and all other materials needed to coach the program.
3. The program is broken down into three parts:
- Getting to know themselves. The girls examine their values, their likes and dislikes, who they envision themselves being and what decisions will make that vision come true.
- Being part of a team. The girls learn about being positive thinking patterns, listening skills, and cooperation. They also learn how to deal with bullies and how to stand up for themselves in a constructive way.
- Being part of a community. The girls learn how they relate to the world at large. This includes messages that we receive from the media and others (awareness to negative media messages and peer pressure). As well as how the girls can contribute to their own community (family, school, community groups, city). To emphasize how they can make a positive effect the girls design and complete their own community project to benefit the local community.
- The girls also participate in a community 5k race.
4. Each day is broken into 3 parts:
- Getting on Board: The topic of the day is introduced usually in the form of a short game and discussion.
- Warm-up: The topic of the day is reinforced in a game that is designed to warm the girls’ muscles up—usually a relay type game. This is followed with some light stretches and discussion about what they learned.
- Work-out: The girls play a game that again deals with the topic of the day. The games involve running laps and getting bingo pieces, puzzle pieces, or cards (depending on the game). We end with stretching and discussion of how the lesson relates to their everyday life. We also do spirit awards for girls that have done something above and beyond what is expected of them and a group cheer.
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