Day Four!

We didn't have practice last week because it was spring break, so I was happy to see all of the girls' smiling faces again today! Our lesson was about balancing all of the things we have going on in our life, like spending time with our family, friends, ourselves, and on schoolwork. For the "Getting on Board" activity, two groups of 4 girls each had 4 index cards on which they wrote "family", "friends", "self", and "school". We lined them up right next to each other on the floor and one at a time, the girls had to stand on one like while trying to touch all of the index cards at one time, representing being able to balance everything in their lives. We kept spreading the cards out farther and farther apart from each other, making it more difficult each time they tried to balance the things that are important to them. After we finished this activity, I asked the girls what they do or could do to make it easier to have balance in their lives. One girl said that her family uses calendars on their computers to stay organized, and another girl said she writes down everything she needs to do when she gets home from school. The girls participated really well today, I'm glad to see them talking and interacting more and more.

Our workout today was short but felt really good because the weather was perfect; blue skies and sunny with a little breeze. Most of the girls ran about 1.5 miles, which is great! They are making progress and doing better with pacing themselves. The best part is that they are seeming to enjoy it :)

Day Three!

Today at practice we discussed stress and how to manage our time wisely. The girls did a great job of talking about different things that cause stress and how they personally handle it. For the "warm-up", we had a relay in which the girls had to race to posters and write down something that stresses them out. After they were done, we discussed each thing they wrote down and how we can deal with it. The girls wrote down everything from "tests" to "fights" to "money problems". The girls did great with the workout as well, we bumped up the distance today and they paced themselves a lot better than they did last week! I still hope to get each girl talking a little more and feeling comfortable with speaking up when they have ideas.

Here's a website I found about how young girls can handle stress in healthy ways! It goes along perfectly with our lesson.

Day Two!

Today was Session #2! I was more nervous for today because Bethany couldn't be there, but I was more prepared as far as knowing the lesson plan which really helped things run smoothly. Within 10 minutes of being there, I already felt comfortable with the girls because they are all so sweet. Some are more talkative than others, but I tried to get them all talking when we did our "Getting on Board" activity. We discussed the "Girl Box", which is a central part of Girls on the Run. If you live inside the "Girl Box", you do things and act in certain ways because you feel pressured to be something you're not based on what others think of you. Girls on the Run, however, encourages girls to live outside of the "Girl Box" by appreciating her own beauty, being herself, being kind to others, and choosing to make healthy life decisions that will encourage confidence and happiness. The girls had some really great ideas and I think they really understood the importance of living outside of the "Girl Box".

Unfortunately, the weather was a little wet and cold so we did our workout in the hallways of the school. All the girls did great and went their own paces, but some practically sprinted the whole time so we definitely need to work on pace if they want to finish a 5k without dying at the beginning! It's great that they are so energetic though.

I hope to upload some pictures soon!

Day One!

Today was our first day of Girls on Track, the name for Girls on the Run at the middle school level, at Hastings Middle School! I was definitely nervous before we started because I had no idea what to expect from the girls or how good Bethany and I would be at coaching. We started with an introduction to Girls on the Run and then started with our "Getting on Board" activity, which is how all of the lessons start. We went around in a circle and said our first names and then what animal we were that started with the same letter as our first name. Each girl had to say the names and animals of the girls before her. I was Johanna Jaguar, and so on. It was a great way to memorize names and break the ice a little.

We then went outside (we started in a classroom) to begin the "Warm-Up". Most of the girls were talking and laughing but I noticed one or two that were a little more quiet, so I hoped by the end of the day I could get them talking a little more. For the warm-up, Bethany and I set up two cones 30 yards away from the girls. Bethany would say things like, "Are you more like a dog or a cat?" and the girls would have to run to the cones that represented those animals. This was a good way for the girls to loosen up and express themselves at the same time.

By the time we started the "Workout", I already felt a million times more comfortable with the girls. I handed out an interview paper to each of them that had questions on it to ask the other girls around them as they ran. We ran two laps around the paved path where we practice, and even in that short time I learned a lot about each of the girls. It was a lot of fun and I feel like the girls got to know each other better.

We went back inside with about 10 minutes left and asked the girls what their thoughts were on Day 1. We gave them a few reminders and a snack for the road. I would say Day 1 was a success and I hope I can continue to get to know the girls and they can continue to grow!