Girls on the Run Promoting More Than Just Physical Fitness

“Powerful.” “Amazing.” “Beautiful.”

Atlanta parents use these words to describe Girls on the Run (GOTR), an international, non-profit organization. Founded in 1996 by Molly Barker, GOTR strives to empower girls through increased self-esteem, character development and physical fitness.

The group focuses on girls aged eight to 14 through two programs.  Girls on the Run serves girls in grades 3 through 5, aiming ‘to educate and empower girls at an early age in order to prevent the display of at-risk activities in the future.” For 6th through 8th graders, Girls on Track “allows for more mature processing around certain topics including eating disorders, internet safety, cyber bullying and tobacco and alcohol use,” according to the website.

Evansdale Elementary School is one of 12 DeKalb County schools and organizations utilizing the GOTR program. Lindsey Hicks, the Evansdale School Counselor, serves as a GOTR coach. “The program promotes a healthy self-concept and one of the major ways it does that is by training for a 5K. And the girls think, ‘Three miles? That’s so far! I can’t do that.’ Of course by the end, they say, ‘This is it?’ By the end of the season, it’s the neatest transformation.”

Starting her second year as Evansdale’s GOTR coach, Hicks became involved with the group in 2010. The start of a new GOTR season has her excited, due in part to the enthusiasm parents and girls are showing for the program. “The parent response has been huge. Our first team last year filled up [via online registration] in about two minutes. It filled up very, very quickly,” she noted. “Parents were fired up about it because they’d heard about [GOTR], so it was really easy to get the coaches we needed.”

During each ten to 12 week session, 15 Evansdale girls and their four coaches gather twice per week. At each meeting there is an exercise component, as well as lessons and discussion on topics relevant to the ages and experiences of the girls. Coaches tailor the discussions to best fit the needs of their group, while still guided by the GOTR curriculum  Parents receive weekly emails from the GOTR coaches detailing the goals and discussion points for each practice. Hicks feels continued communication is an important part of the program. “For parents, it really opens some discussion doors for their children….They are part of the learning process because of these discussions with their girls,” Hicks said. “It facilitates a dialogue.”

Though the girls might not know each other in the beginning, Hicks says the group component is significant and bonds form quickly. “It has a huge impact because the girls learn a lot from each other through the curriculum.” The girls learn about “encouraging others and encouraging yourself, too, through positive self-talk.”

The 5k race highlights the GOTR program for the girls. “It’s a very legit 5K. There are lots of spectators, lots of booths they can go to. It’s a real 5K and a really big deal. There’s a sense of accomplishment that goes with that.”

One of GOTR’s biggest strengths is its ability to benefit almost all girls.  “It’s a phenomenal program,” says Hicks. “I feel like it’s a program for girls who feel that they’re athletes, but it’s just as much a program for girls who think they’re not, and that’s pretty amazing.”

If you’re interested in learning more about GOTR, enrolling your daughter, starting a program at your own school or in volunteer opportunities, visit the Girls on the Run Atlanta website.