Children today are bombarded with more choices for recreation than every before. The age of technology not only brings convenience but also an opportunity for a sedentary lifestyle. Parents often struggle to keep their children active and physically fit. It is especially difficult to find a way to motivate preteen girls to have a healthy lifestyle. This challenge increases as children grow up and enter their adolescent years.
Yet one program has successfully done this. This after-school program promotes healthy lifestyles for girls third through eighth grade with character education lessons, running and exercise. Girls as they mature are often told through false messages that playing sports is not cool and that being athletic is not feminine. The Girls On The Run program is a great way to encourage fitness in the classroom, community and extends to the home as well.
Girls On The Run targets inactive girls and girls with low self-esteem. It encourages girls to stay active. It also motivates those students who are already athletes to continue to enjoy exercise, try new forms of fitness activities, and reach out to the community with active volunteer programs as well.
The program aims to help girls make exercise a lifelong habit by introducing them to running and other forms of physical fitness. Girls meet twice a week for an hour before or after school, learn a life-changing lesson, play an active game, eat a healthy snack, and prepare for a 5K that is held bi-annually in the surrounding area. Teachers, principals or local community members volunteer with the program as coaches.
Each child in the 5K race event is accompanied by a running buddy. This event is held on a Saturday or Sunday to better facilitate family participation. Parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and other family members as well as coaching staff accompany these girls as they run. Buddies come in all shapes and sizes from the elite athlete to the recreational walker. All have one thing in common though: the desire to motivate and positively encourage their girl to finish the race strong and feeling good. Buddies encourage runners to “run in such a way as to get the prize.” Everyone who finishes gets a medal to celebrate the accomplishment. All girls no matter their speed are told that they are winners and can do anything that they put their mind to.
The program’s curriculum is based on building life-skill lessons and finding ways to build the girls’ self-esteem through fitness. Lessons included in the curriculum include how to deal with bullies, combating unrealistic body images, making healthy choices, and helping others. The program ends with a party hosted by a local school after the 5K.
Girls on the Run Chicago started in Chicago in 1999 with only five coaches. Currently, it serves over 2,300 girls with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and has trained over 300 volunteer coaches in the past year. The costs of the program are based on the average income of the surrounding community. Girls On The Run Chicago serves Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, and Will counties. Susan Torrance, a coach at Arcadia School in Olympia Fields, dedicates herself to the girls by supplementing the program with extra time and her own money. Her greatest joy is when she can see a girl blossom through the life lessons learned in the program. Parents and volunteer coaches have commented that there have been many positive changes in their girls’ lives.
Girls on the Run Chicago gives young girls the tools and life lessons that they need to transform their lives and the lives of others. Nichhyra Byrd, the 2008 Chicago nominee for the ESPY award, says that “Running has taught me to do my best, on and off the track. I can do whatever I dream, if I put my mind to it. But most of all I just love to run with my friends. It’s fun.” And everyone agrees that fitness has to be fun to be a lifelong habit! The program reflects a Bible perspective to, “fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith.” These girls learn through Girls On The Run that they can do anything when they put their mind to it – even finishing a 5K race.
There are many ways to be involved with Girls On The Run in your community. This program is not only in Chicago but is also across the country. To find out if there is an existing program in your community go to http://girlsontherun.org/locations.html. Opportunities include volunteer coaching, helping or assisting at running events, or sponsoring the program with a financial contribution through fundraising for a running event or an individual contribution. Email info@gotrchicago.org for more information.
Christina Lee Steele Chapan is a certified personal trainer with four certifications from ACE, ISSA, AFAA and SCW. She specializes with fitness for children and those with special needs. In addition to attaining her certifications, she is also an elementary and special education teacher with a B.S. in Elementary Education, a minor in Biblical Studies from North Central University, an endorsement in Special Education, and an M.A. in Curriculum and Development from Governors State University. Her passion is for training the future of tomorrow. She is available for training, speaking and writing. Please visit her Fit 4 Fun website at http://worknotes.com/IL/Chicago/Fit4FunKidsFitness/ or email her atcchapan@yahoo.com
