Girls on The Run
This spring was my 5 season coaching Girls on The Run. Again I coached the 6th grade girls and we used the middle school program called Heart and Sole. I love working with the 6th grade girls for a number of reasons.
First, they are old enough (11-12 years) to really want to be there and want to participate in the lessons. Secondly, they are young enough to still respect my authority and look up to me as a coach. In my former life as a psychotherapist in an eating disorders clinic, this was the age that most of my clients were and I feel very comfortable with them. Middle school can be such a challenging time for girls especially today with so much pressure to be older and so much social media.
If you are not familiar with Girls on The Run (GOTR), the program is about so much more than running. GOTR is about finding ways to stand up for yourself, team building, strengthening support systems, learning about commonalities and diversities, realizing you are stronger than you thought and stepping out of your comfort zone just to name a few. You can find out more about Girls On The Run here.
Many of the girls have referred to our lessons as “group therapy” and in a sense it is as the practices offer the girls a safe place to talk about whatever is on their minds while gaining support from their peers.
Throughout this season and last, I’ve watched my 11 & 12 year old girls mature and grow both physically and mentally. I really have become so attached to this group it’s going to be hard to finish up the season. I’ve watched them work a lot harder this spring on their running and they have truly amazed me by how much progress they have made.
A few of the girls that were walking most of last season’s laps are now pushing themselves to complete self set goals each week. They have bonded as a team and support and encouragement to each other at practices.
The highlight of our 10 week season is the 5k which was last Sunday. All 10 of my girls arrived with smiles on their faces ready to take on the 3.1 miles. I am thrilled to say that all of 10 of them completed the race with their own PR’s. Proud coach moment indeed.
Coaching these girls has honestly become one of my passions. I love to see them grow and learn skills that they can take onto Middle and High School with them. I like to think that I am grooming them to be the next generation of my Moms Run This Town group.
I am always surprised by how much they teach me as well and I am sure going to miss them next season.
linking up with Ann Marie, Nicole, Michelle & Angelina Marie
Suzy, Coach Debbie, crazy running girl, and crazy running girl,
So great that you can do this…. such a great organization, and it is such a fragile time in a girl’s life when you can make a huge impact… love it.
Thanks Paria! I really love working with them and hope that it makes a difference
I think it is so awesome that you coach GOTR! Congrats to them on their 5k, that is amazing!!!
I was so proud of them all last weekend
I love GOTR so much! I ran Chicago as a SoleMate. I’m so impressed that you coach. That is such a time commitment, but such an amazing way to really, hands on make a difference. It’s something I’d like to do one day.
I really hope you have the chance to coach you would be great. It is a time commitment but so worth it
Deborah,
You nailed it – this post captures my feelings perfectly. I have coach GOTR for 3 seasons. Some of the 6th grade girls have been doing this program 3 years, so the coaches decided to try H&S for the older ones. It was great experience and really engaged them. Hope you continue to have opportunity to coach, it is so important to provide positive environment and role models to these young ladies.
Thanks so much! I truly love working the girls and I get so much out of it myself too.
That’s funny that you posted about the Girls on the run 5k today, so did we. My sister ran it with some students from school and she really enjoyed it as well.
It’s such a great program and so glad to hear you are involved as well
You are such a great role model for those girls and what a wonderful opportunity! They are so lucky to have you.
My youngest wanted to join run club but they didn’t have one this year and when I looked into GOTR there wasn’t one close either. I really need to look into that more and try to get one over in the area.
You might have to coach too so you can bring it to your daughter’s school. It’s such a great experience
Reading this makes me miss coaching my high school team so much! It truly is rewarding. I still keep in touch with some of the kids who graduated years ago, and they tell me how important it was to them. You’re truly making a difference in their lives.
Thanks that means a lot! I really do love coaching them and seeing how much they progress throughout the season
Girls on the run is such an incredible organization–thank YOU for being a coach for it! You are making such a difference. Thank you also for linking up!
Aw thanks! I truly love it and honestly get so much back from them as well
This has to be so rewarding for you! And empowering for the girls. It’s nice for them to have healthy role models to look up to. I have a few patients who participate in GOTR but their moms don’t work out at all. Grateful to women like you who are leading this.
Thanks that means a lot! I truly love to work with them and find it so rewarding
This makes me so happy! You inspired me to try to start one at our school. It’s not likely going to come together for the fall, but hopefully next spring. What an awesome accomplishment for those girls. And congrats to you, coach!
Oh wow really?! How awesome that you are looking to start it as well. Happy to answer any questions you might have
I love Girls on the Run…what a great activity and sounds like you and the girls benefitted. What a proud coaching moment to have all the girls finish the 5K and with PRs!!
I was so proud! Thanks
I really really hope to be a GOTR coach some day. It looks like such a blast and it’s such a great organization!
You would be a great coach I hope you have the opportunity some day
You are most definitely grooming the next MRT group! Great year coach !
Thanks so much xoxo
that looks like so much fun. what a great organization. i have been thinking about getting involved in the one here.
You should! It’s such a great organization
awh this just looks like so much fun!! My youngest daughter wants to do this next year!
Oh yay I hope she has a chance to and you would love it too
Keep up the amazing work, great job with the girls! The world needs more people like you!
OH you are so sweet!
Wow, this was so touching to read. It’s so important to look out for the girls coming behind us! I’m sure they will miss you too! Congrats to the girls on those 5K’s!
Thanks I really enjoyed it so much
Congrats on another season of coaching GOTR! You are such a great role model!
Thanks so much I really love to do it
Congrats on an amazing GOTR season! I coached last fall and it was such an amazing experience and I’m hoping to do it again next year. I’ll never forget what it was like to run across the finish line with my last runner in the 5k and see how proud she was! Congrats to all of your girls on getting a PR!
I am so proud of them all and I am so glad that you had a chance to coach too. It’s such a great program!
I didn’t get to do GOTR this year. I miss the groups of girls I’ve worked with the past few years.
I am going to miss them so much but will soon have a new group to torture 🙂
It’s a wonderful thing that you do! I often wonder if there had been more programs like that when I was that age, perhaps I would have found a love of fitness much earlier in life. I must’ve been in my late 20s before I started to get into fitness!
So kudos to you, Coach Deb.
You know I’ve thought about that myself too. I wish I had done some sort of athletic things as a teen.
To my parents’ credit, they tried. I took some dance lessons, I swam, I didn’t particularly like bikes, even back then, but I did learn to ride one. I ice skated & skii’d — just barely. But I was so clearly not athletic & not interested, they kind of gave up on me.
I was so not interested back then either. One of my childhood regrets
This is such a great way to contribute!! My friend has been a GOTR coach and she really enjoyed it. Glad the girls are having fun!
I really do love it too!
GOTR is such a great organization. I wish there had been something like that when I was a kid!
I keep seeing commercials for it on TV out here – love that they’re getting such great publicity!
I wish I had participated in something like GOTR when I was younger too. I think it would have made a huge difference.
I love that you do this! It’s such a great organization and provides such important lessons at what can be a really tough time for a lot of girls. WTG Coach 🙂
Thanks so much Michelle!
So cute, I love this! I keep wanting to volunteer for GOTR but my kids are too young for me to leave them alone. When they get older I’ll definitely be out there helping!
I hope you have the chance to someday it’s a great organization.
You are awesome for coaching GOTR! Such a great role model! I coached one year and would love to do it again in the future!
I truly love it so much!
That looks like SO much fun! What a great organization to volunteer with! 🙂
The best!