Girls on the Run is So Much Fun

Twice a week all over the Napa Valley you will find 3rd - 8th grade girls on the run. These girls are participating in an after-school non-profit character development and physical fitness program. The girls come together for ten weeks with the goal of participating in a local 5K run. However the program is not just about running. It is about learning and developing confidence about ones self, ones character, ones own individual pace, and respecting the same in others. This Napa Valley group is volunteer run, and is one council of the international group Girls On the Run.

Girls on the Run (GOTR) was created and founded in 1996 by Molly Barker, MSW, in Charlotte North Carolina. Today Girls on the Run programs exist in over 150 cities across North America. GOTR Napa Valley is one of these programs. There are many options for individuals and programs to begin a Girls on the Run program. Individuals that are interested will receive training and curriculum from the GOTR organization. The Napa Valley program was instituted as its own non-profit organization. However, this model can be operated as a ten-week portion of existing after-school programs or community based organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club. Local funding for the Napa Valley non-profit comes from support organizations such as Rotary and Soroptimist clubs, as well as business and private donations. Because the organization is run and operated by volunteers, costs are minimal. Girls on the Run Napa Valley acquires their volunteers, consisting of women athletes, teachers, and individuals involved with the school system, through word of mouth. The Napa Valley program started in spring 06 with 2 groups in one local community. In the fall 2006, the program facilitated 5 groups. Due to increasing popularity this spring (2007) 6 groups will be operating all throughout the Napa Valley. The program charges a participation fee and is free for participants who are in financial need.

Girls on the Run is a ten-week program for 3rd – 5th grade girls. According to Janet Todd, Executive Director and volunteer with GOTR Napa Valley it is important to offer the program at this age because the girls are entering a time in their lives when they will soon be faced with some difficult decisions. Therefore it is important for these girls to do what they are comfortable with and stick with their own “pace” despite what may be happening around them. The physical activity also raises their level of confidence in themselves and their abilities to accomplish future goals.

Typically the first 3-4 weeks of the program are spent focusing on the participants knowing themselves. They work with activities from the GOTR curriculum designed to help the girls define themselves and what they stand for. The second 3-4 weeks are spent building team and understanding the importance of cooperation. The final 3-4 weeks bring these concepts out into the community and the girls design a community service project. All this is accomplished while moving toward the goal of completing a 5K run. There is also a middle school component to the program called “Girls on Track” which follows a similar model however Girls on Track deals with the unique issues that face middle school girls such as relationships, peer pressure, drugs and alcohol.

A typical day with Girls on the Run (GOTR) Napa Valley will start with a snack as the girls arrive for the program. While they are arriving the topic of the day will be introduced. Examples of topics may be the value of reflection, being thankful, gossiping, or community service. After snack GOTR volunteers facilitate a “get-on-board” exercise from the Girls on the Run curriculum. One example of one of these activities is a volunteer throwing a tube of toothpaste down and telling the girls to have fun squeezing it all out. Then she tells the girls to put the toothpaste back in the tube exactly how it was before it was squeezed out. Of course this is an impossible task. This illustrates the consequences of gossiping. Once gossip is out it can never be taken back. On another day a volunteer may offer the challenge to see if participants can successfully sit in a circle with one person sitting on the knees of the other behind them while also supporting the person in front of them so that each person has an important role in holding the circle up. This challenge is used to spark discussion about the interconnectedness of communities and the importance of individual choices. These exercises set the tone for the day.

After the tone is set, the girls participate in a warm-up activity that usually involves a purposeful relay. For example at each end of the relay the participants examine the pros and cons of decisions. They may run 25 yards, answer a question on paper with a pencil, run to another marker 25 yards away and answer a new question. Stretching and debrief follows the warm-up relay. While the girls stretch and prepare for a longer run they discuss the moral dilemmas posed to them and the pros and cons of possible decisions.

Now the girls are ready for their longer run. At the beginning of the 10-week period they may spend more time with activities and warm-ups but as time goes on they increase the distance that they run. On some runs there may be encouraging incentives like beads on a bracelet for each lap they run. Other times there may be interesting opportunities for reflection. There may be a trashcan next to the track and each time the girls pass it they are encouraged to “throw away” a negative thought they have or symbolically throw away a negative behavior. The workout is followed by stretching, debrief, and closure. The day is finalized with the cheer, “girls on the run is so much fun!” Participants meet twice a week for ten weeks culminating in a 5K run which the girls participate in.

In the short time since its inception, GOTR Napa Valley has seen great success. One St. Helena teacher reported seeing increased confidence, engagement, and participation in class with a number of her third grade students enrolled in the program. When asked what they liked and learned about the program, one participant wrote, “I liked all the activities…I learned not to gossip, not say put downs, eat healthy, go to bed on time, and to respect others and myself.” Executive Director Janet Todd notes that there is something for all the girls to learn. For some girls they may take away good eating and exercise habits, others may take away life skills that benefit them well into the future. According to one third grade participant, “Girls on the Run makes me happy. I learn more about feeling good about myself. They teach you to try your best instead of giving up. Now I keep trying until I can do it and that makes me happy. I can be with my dream.”

Through a combination of experiential activities focusing on character development and team building as well as curriculum that focuses on wellness and physical activity Girls on the Run Napa Valley has made positive impacts on the lives of Napa Valley girls.

For more information on Girls on the Run international, or to contact about training to operate a GOTR program in your area go to www.girlsontherun.org. For more information about Girls on the Run Napa Valley go to www.gotrnapavalley.org.