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Dangerous Women: Article 1 A Woman on the Run | page 1 of 4 | next > by Lynne Hybels |
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Fifteen preteen girls were training together for a 5k (3.1 mile) running event. Though most the girls had already completed the necessary laps for that day, Sophia had one more lap to run. She asked her volunteer coach, Elizabeth Wright, if she would run it with her. "Of course I will," said Elizabeth. When the other girls saw "Coach E" run out on the track with Sophia, they decided to join her. Minutes later the entire team finished the last lap together. The practice ended with the usual high-fives and team cheers, but Sophia was crying. Elizabeth asked what was wrong, assuming she had twisted an ankle or pulled a muscle. Instead, Sophia looked up at Coach E and said, "Now I can do anything!" "That’s why I do this," Elizabeth told me. My long-time friend Elizabeth Wright volunteers for Girls on the Run (GOTR), a national non-profit organization which uses the power of running to help girls in third, fourth and fifth grade develop self-respect and value a healthy lifestyle. The after-school program combines training for the running event, a community service project, and a 10-week character-development curriculum. Each team (of 8 to 15 girls) meets after school twice each week for an hour and a half. Lessons cover issues such as managing emotions, goal setting and achievement, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, listening skills, the dangers of gossip, the importance of cooperation, assessing personal needs, wants and habits, and how and when to speak up for yourself. GOTR focuses on girls eight to twelve years old to combat the negative peer pressure so strong at that age. Studies show that by 5th grade, girls tend to go to a place that GOTR calls “The Girl Box.” That's a place where girls feel more valued for their appearance, who their friends are, and what kind of clothes they wear than for their strength of character. The GOTR lessons, combined with the physical empowerment of running and the positive peer experience of teambuilding, help girls reclaim their bodies and their voices so they can avoid "The Girl Box." Skills taught through GOTR have been shown to lead to fewer eating disorders and substance abuse issues, less depression and suicide attempts, and fewer teen pregnancies. While the basic curricula for the 10-week course is provided by GOTR, each team's volunteer coach and assistant coach have creative freedom when it comes to teaching the lessons. During a session on the importance of expressing gratitude, Elizabeth brought stacks of phone books for looking up addresses, along with fun stationary, colorful markers and stamps. Why, she wondered, should we just talk about expressing gratitude when the girls could actually send notes of appreciation to a grandmother or a teacher? "Some of them had never written a thank you note so we had to work hard on what to say, but the girls were so proud when they mailed their notes." | page 1 of 4 | next >
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