I have so much to say about this incredible organization and figured the best way to touch on everything I want to convey is to format this post like a giant Q&A so I can address the most common questions I’ve received and also share a little more detail about my experience.
First, before diving into all of the details, I wanted to quickly say how much this program means to me. When I first signed on to coach, I figured it would be a fun way to get involved in the local community and give back in some small way. I had no idea how much I would look forward to every single practice and grow to love and truly care for each and every girl on our team. Our weekly practices were energetic, emotional, thought-provoking and inspiring. I cannot wait to coach again this spring and highly encourage anyone out there who may be even the slightest bit interested to consider looking into volunteering with your local council. You won’t regret it!
Okay, onto the Q&A…
- What is Girls On The Run?
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a non-profit organization and a transformational physical activity-based positive youth development program for girls in third through eighth grade. GOTR teaches life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games.
Running is used to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness, and build confidence through accomplishment. Important social, psychological, and physical skills and abilities are developed and reinforced throughout the program. At each season’s conclusion, the girls and their running buddies complete a 5K which gives them a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. The result—making the seemingly impossible, possible, and teaching girls that they can.
- How long is a season?
Each season lasts approximately 12 weeks and incorporates 24 lessons. There are two GOTR seasons: One in the fall and one beginning early this February in the spring. Both seasons culminate with the big 5K race!!
- How often do you practice?
We held twice-weekly practices that lasted 90 minutes. My fellow coaches and I met with our team every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
- What is the difference between Girls On The Run and Girls On Track?
Girls On The Run is the program name for girls in third, fourth and fifth grade. Girls On Track is the program in place for girls in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. I coached a Girls On Track team and LOVED them.
- How do I find a GOTR team near me?
Click here for the “Find a Council” map of the United States. Don’t see one in your area? Click here for information about starting a council near you!
- How do I sign up to be a coach?
Click the link above to find a GOTR council near you. Click on their Volunteer page and submit a volunteer application!
- What is the weekly time commitment for a GOTR Coach?
There are different coaching positions available: Head coach, assistant coach and junior coach. I participated as a head coach but had two co-coaches on my team who were fabulous and also helped with planning. I would say, on average, I dedicated four to five hours a week to coaching. This includes practices, weekly email correspondence with parents and lesson prep work before a practice.
- What is a practice like?
So much fun!!! I was actually quite nervous walking into my first practice but I really didn’t need to be because our weekly GOTR practices were always such a blast. We began with a healthy snack followed by a warm up or discussion according to the curriculum guide every coach is provided by Girls On The Run International. Lesson topics varied from relationships and self esteem to healthy eating and communication. Most lessons include an activity to help the girls get up and moving while also reiterating the theme of the day’s discussion.
Then it was time to run! After our discussion, we’d head outside to the track with the girls and spend the remainder of the time running. Most of the time, there was an activity to complete while the girls were running to make it a little more fun, such as yelling out something they’re grateful for to be added to a poster after each lap (see above pic), etc.
- I want to get involved with GOTR but I’m not interested in coaching. Are there other ways to help out?
Yes!!! Again, check your local council’s volunteer page for additional volunteer opportunities. Most councils are always looking for race day volunteers. You can also sign up to be a Running Buddy and run with a GOTR participant on race day, as every girl is required to run with a running buddy. I absolutely loved participating in the race as a running buddy with one of the girls on my team and highly recommend it!
- I saw on Instagram that you and your team made dog beds? What was that for?
Each season, every GOTR team is responsible for participating in some sort of a community service project. Our team decided to make fleece dog beds for a local animal shelter! We let the girls brainstorm various community service projects and vote on the one they wanted to do most.
- I want to coach but I’m not a runner. Is that okay?
Absolutely! During my training to become a coach, our program coordinator asked how many coaches in the room didn’t love running and quite a few hands went up. Of course a genuine interest in running is fabulous, but you do not need to run regularly to be a GOTR coach.
- What is the 5K like? Does everybody run?
Exciting!! You can see a full recap of last season’s 5K here: Girls On The Run 5K Recap. Everybody definitely does not run. There’s a lot of running and walking going on, but girls are encouraged to do their best! Every team hosts a practice 5K before the real race, so we encouraged our girls to try to beat their practice 5K times. Every girl is given the bib number “1” because there are no winners and no losers, so the race is simply about accomplishing a big goal, not coming in first place. Each girl must also run with a running buddy (an adult) and while most girls run with a family member or an older friend, a bunch run with volunteer Running Buddies as well.
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I think that covers everything!! I am also more than happy to answer any additional questions, so feel free to ask away in the comments section below or shoot me an email. LOVE GOTR!
Disclaimer: Photo releases are signed by all GOTR girls’ parents and coaches are encouraged by GOTR to share photos to help spread the word about such an amazing organization.
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This looks like a fabulous program!! I know the girls were blessed to have you as their coach.
So rewarding for all involved!! Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE this post! I have my informational meeting for coaching GOTR at the elementary school I am student teaching at this week and reading this made me even more excited! Thanks for sharing 🙂
yay!!! you will LOVE it!
How fun! What a great post, looks like an awesome organization! I’ll have to look into it for my area 🙂
This is amazing. I’ve been meaning to look into GOTR more and your blog post was an inspirational reminder. Thanks so much!
You are so awesome!! Way to be a huge impact on these girls lives and encouraging a healthy lifestyle! They will never forget you and all you did with them!
You’ve inspired me to look into being a race day volunteer or running buddy! I wish I could coach but my schedule doesn’t allow it. Congrats on a great season!
Being a running buddy is so much fun!! Highly recommended!
What an amazing way to give back! Those girls are super lucky to have you. Our world needs more people who are willing to volunteer and give back.
This was such an amazing way to give back and it looks like it was a blast too! I had never heard of the organization until I read about it on your blog. I really hope I can eventually volunteer for them in the future. Thanks for all of the info!
I have a friend who was a lead coach for GOTR last year, and I really enjoyed being part of the cheer squad for their practice 5k!
I LOVE THAT YOU’VE DONE THIS!!! I recently found out about this group too, and it looks like so much fun. We have a couple groups around the Kansas City area that do really well, and I hope that sometime in the future when I get more of a regular schedule I will be able to volunteer too. Good to know you enjoyed your experience!
Ever since you’ve been working with GOTR, I’ve been thinking about getting involved. Thanks for answering all these questions and inspiring me to join!
Love this post!! Thanks so much for reviewing the program. I’ve been interested in GOTR ever since you’ve been raving about it! I’m an avid runner and would love to be a coach in my community! My only concern is that I work M-F, 9-5PM. Do you think this would be a problem?
i think it might be hard because most practices seem to occur right when school gets out — so probably between 3 and 4 p.m. i would still reach out to your local chapter to see if they have any suggestions for you!!
I used the Couch to 5K program to train for my first 5K when I was 17…obviously older than these girls but it really did give me a sense of accomplishment and boost my self-confidence. What a neat idea for a program. I’m going to look for one in Wisconsin.
LOVE GOTR! I just signed up to be on the 5K Committee for this Spring. So glad you had such an amazing experience with it.
I’m so happy you posted this!! I just signed up as a head coach for GOTR and will go through training in a couple weeks and was starting to get nervous about not knowing what I was doing. This was really helpful in terms of breaking down day-to-day activities and the time commitment and now I’m just excited! 🙂 It’s such a great program, I’m really looking forward to being able to be involved in it!
I love the concept of GOTR! I would love to get involved someday.
That sounds amazing. I wish I knew about this program when I was teaching in the States. Thanks for sharing! http://www.eatallovertheworld.com
I coached Girls on the Run in the fall and it was so rewarding!! I’m so glad you are spreading the word about it too. Such a great organization.
I just wanted to second Julie’s love for GOTR. I was a running buddy for my local GOTR 5K in December and it was an amazing experience. So many girls and their families together running, and many of these girls have never run this distance before, so it’s truly amazing to see their faces when they cross the finish line. I highly recommend this organization to anyone who is interested in making a small but meaningful difference in a young girl’s life.
I am also planning on being part of Team Adelaide next semester!
So cool! I’ve been hearing a lot about Gotr lately, and I totally want to do it now.
Awesome post!! I volunteered in the cheering section for GOTR with the Junior League of Cincinnati and it was SO much fun! We made fun signs and gave high fives to all the girls, their friends, their coaches and their families. I can’t even begin to say how adorable it was to see all of the dads dressed up in GOTR gear (and a few dads in tutus to match their little girls!) It was an amazing experience. I highly recommend volunteering the day of the race if you can’t commit to volunteering the whole season 🙂
Looks like you had an enthusiastic bunch in your group. Maybe you answered this is your post, but how many girls did you have in your group?
I have wanted to get involved in this program for years! I finally reached out and am going to a coaches training session in February, I cannot wait!
Love this post! I will be completing my coaches’ training next weekend, and I’m so excited to become more involved with GOTR.
This post couldn’t have come at a more perfect time! I have my GOTR training on Saturday morning. I’ll be coaching with a few other teachers at the Elementary school where I teach. This is my first year teaching at this school and I think this will be the perfect way to become more involved with the school and community and share my love of running with girls. Great post!
hope you love it!!
What a fabulous organization! I’ve definitely heard of it before, and had a general idea of what it was about, but I didn’t know about the community service and the frequency of the meetings. I think girls of that age, especially, are so “moldable” and looking for role models to look up to. What a fabulous way to influence young girls in such a positive way!
Such a great post! I’m currently involved in starting a Counsel in my area on the Central Coast in California, because we don’t already have one here! This post definitely answered some of my questions and I can’t wait to get rolling with starting a chapter over here:)
I love this! I’ve thought about getting involved in girls on the run but have never actually looked into it or applied… thanks for all this info!
Thanks for posting this! My sister’s mother-in-law started a chapter in Idaho, so inspiring. I hope to get involved or even start my own chapter someday!
Yay! Glad you are enjoying your experience! I’m on the programming committee of my local chapter, and just can’t say enough good things about GOTR. LOVE IT.
I think it is so awesome you did this and are spreading the word about it. So awesome, Julie!! Thanks for the detail on this great program.
I wanted to coach GOTR in the fall but missed the deadline…bummer! I just filled out an application recently, though, so hopefully I can coach in the spring! I think it would be so much fun!
seems like such a wonderful organization to be involved in!
This was a perfect recap! I am so grateful you decided to coach last season and am thrilled your experience was wonderful! Thank you for continuing on with Girls on the Run and good luck this season!
thank YOU!!! loved every minute — and getting to know you!
I was an assistant coach for GOTR a few years ago and loved the experience! I highly recommend it 🙂
This is such a great way for people to coach outside of the school environment 🙂 I’ve always wanted to work with girls in an athletic way, but I’m no where near talented or knowledgeable enough to coach a high school sport. This seems perfect!
Thanks for the post!! I’m doing the coach training this weekend and will be a head coach in Nashville this spring.. Can’t wait!
Awesome!!
Nashville, as in Music City Nashville? (I know of a few states that have Nashville’s ;-p )
Anyhow, I’ve been wanting to get involved but my job’s schedule doesn’t fit with after school hours, would love to find a way to help though!
I LOVE this organization! I wanted to get involved but it was tough to fit in the time commitment with my college class schedule 🙁
Also, I saw that Girls on the Run International posted this blog post on their Facebook. Congrats!!
oh i didn’t see that! thanks for the head’s up!! 🙂
I really want to get involved with this after we get moved to our new house – it seems like such an amazing organization!
This sounds like a great program!
Wow what an amazing organisation! Projects like this seem so important not just for young people’s physical health but their mental health too – it sure can be tough being a young girl growing up sometimes!
Hi Julie!
This seems like an awesome activity to get involved with. This may be a weird question, but I am currently serving in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia (enjoying some great internet finally and perusing blogs since I haven’t been able to do this much since getting here!) and I was interested in starting a club for girls that was related about confidence boosting, life skills etc. but focused around physical fitness. Peace Corps has a number of resources available to look into clubs like this but was just looking for other suggestions as well. I was wondering if it was possible for you to give me an idea of some of the types of things you did at your practices relating more specifically to those things so I can possibly adapt to for a program I could implement in my community here! (any activities that aren’t AS running focused as most girls don’t own sneakers also!) Let e know if you have any ideas or could give me a few ideas about possible activities I could do here!
Thanks!
Natalie
This is something that definitely interests me. It’s such a nice way to be helping the community out. Looks like there are a loooot of dots in Florida for locations. Excelleeeeeennt! Great post, Julie. You are inspiring!
When I first read that you were doing this I was super excited to try it out. I was kind of bummed there wasn’t a local council near me though. Then I thought I could set one up but it is super expensive and I had other projects in the works. Maybe in the future..it just looks amazing and so rewarding. Props to you!!
Thanks for sharing this information! I really want to work with this organization in the (hopefully soon) future. I read that they prefer coaches to commit to two seasons, so once I’m sure where we’ll be settled, I’m going to to get involved.
I love this, thank you for sharing. I Just signed up in the Boston area to be a coach. My niece is 9 and I would LOVE to get her and her friends in on this (although there is no current chapter in her city).
I loved reading about your time with GOTR and this post is a great recap or the program. I may look into helping out once I get my schedule more set in stone. Im definitely a planner so I like to make sure I have time to commit to things before I do. Thanks for the info!
what an amazing organization!
Julie – I am SO glad that you got involved with Girls on the Run. I have been following your blog for a long time and couldn’t have been happier when I saw you coached this past fall. Like you, I joined Girls on the Run as a coach as a way to connect more with my new community, to try something new and meet new people, and support my half marathon training… what I found was SO much more. The lessons are so much for the girls, but they are as much for the volunteers that lead the lessons. Thank you so much for posting this – you have such a great following and it’s awesome to spread the word about such an awesome organization!
<3 <3 <3 thank YOU for volunteering, jenny!!
Sounds amazing!!! I am SO looking for a program near me – I would LOVE to coach!! Thanks for sharing all about the program – I don’t know if I would have ever heard of it otherwise! 🙂