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Photo Courtesy of Wendy Deer
Girls on the Run participants celebrate after a practice 5K race.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE — Girls on the Run NJ, a nonprofit organization, is teaching South Orange and Maplewood girls self-acceptance through running. Volunteer coaches lead local teams of 12 to 18 girls in running, team-building games and thoughtful discussions about topics such as standing up for oneself, inner beauty and positive self-talk, according to Shannon Gibson, the program’s Essex County director.
The activity is held in three local locations: at Clinton School in Maplewood on Wednesdays from 2:45 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:45 to 10 a.m.; at Jefferson School in Maplewood on Wednesdays from 2:45 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.; and at Memorial Park in Maplewood on Mondays from 4 to 5:15 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
The program is in need of female coaches to work with local girls in grades three through five. Coaches do not need to be experienced runners; they just need to be enthusiastic about inspiring girls to gain confidence and self-worth, Gibson told the News-Record in a July 31 email. Each coach teaches from a curriculum book with detailed lesson plans that are used by Girls on the Run programs throughout the United States and Canada.
Any woman interested in coaching must take part in a four-hour training session and undergo a background check, Gibson told the News-Record via email.
Gibson encouraged all local women to volunteer as coaches, because, as a coach herself, she said she has experienced firsthand the positive impact the activity has on young girls’ lives.
“I have seen so many girls go from shy, quiet girls who hide and cling to their parents’ legs to smiling, empowered young girls,” Gibson said. “My favorite thing about being a coach is that personal connection I develop with the girls. I love knowing that I am making a difference in these girls’ lives.”
Empowering girls to love themselves is the core mission of Girls on the Run. As Gibson pointed out, it is not truly a running program since there is no competition involved. In fact, she said there are only three rules: have fun, be yourself and try your hardest.
But running is certainly an integral part of the activity. In addition to keeping participants fit, the games reinforce lessons taught by the program about teamwork, building inner strength and maintaining healthy relationships. One important lesson is that girls can be athletic and can run for extended amounts of time. This lesson is hit home through a game in which girls check off the number of laps they complete in crayon and can then look back to see all the colors representing their effort and success.
This all leads up to the final 5K run, which endeavors to help the girls realize they have the ability to do whatever they set their minds to achieve.
“Running is a tool to help motivate the girls,” Gibson said. “The joy and sense of accomplishment you see on the girls’ faces when they run a 5K is incredible.”
Essex County resident Wendy Deer, whose daughter, Anna, has participated in the program since she was a third-grader, knows the activtiy’s positive effects.
“It really engendered a great amount of camaraderie and self-confidence,” Deer said in a July 31 phone interview. “The lessons are so on-the-mark for the age that she embraced them in a way that things like Girl Scouts and school did not reach her in the same way.”
Deer added that the running aspect of the activity unites the girls since special equipment or extraordinary talent are not necessary for running.
Thanks to grants from sponsors and community partners, registration fees for local programs have been reduced, and all girls are eligible for financial aid. The Sneaker Factory, a sponsor, will provide shoes to participants in need.
Anyone interested in becoming a Girls on the Run coach should contact Gibson at shannon@girlsontherunnj.org. Girls in the third through fifth grades interested in registering for Girls on the Run should visit www.girlsontherunnj.org.