SCSD Young Women Gain Physical Endurance and Enduring Friendships through Running Groups

The 4^th and 5^th grade girls gathered in the Syracuse Latin gym after school all clapped once. Then, they all shouted.
 
“Rainbows and puppies!” they called out in unison.
 
This student-selected phrase is how they cheer each other up when someone is feeling down.
 
Through the school’s Girls on the Run group, the young women gather twice a week to jog, run, and build community. They talk about their strengths and strive for their “star power” – when they’re doing something they love and are feeling their best.
 
“The lessons we talk about give the girls an opportunity to have a free and safe place to talk,” Physical Education teacher and Girls on the Run Advisor Meghan Goodness said. “Friendship is the topic we focus on the most. This group is very diverse, and we had to work to become a cohesive team. Girls on the Run focuses on each girl having different star powers that help them take care of themselves, be in healthy relationships, and celebrate their strengths. This is a fabulous program to nurture the girls’ physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I hope I gave them the skills to stick up for themselves and celebrate themselves. I hope they embrace their star powers and confidently pursue their dreams!”
 
After their discussions, the girls lace up to run. Together, they’re also training for the Butterfly Run 5K which took place in early June.
 
“I like the proud feeling after you’ve run a long distance,” 4^th grader Catherine Peters said. “It makes me feel really proud.”
 
“I wanted to push myself harder than I ever have, and I’m trying to become a better runner,” 5^th grader Amelie Gregory added. “I’ve learned about endurance and pacing myself. In this group, we’re about trying to finish – not trying to win.”
 
For many of the students, the running is fun – but their biggest take-aways have been more personal.
 
“On the first day of the group, we talked about the good and bad things about being a girl,” 4^th grader Kaiah Hurt shared. “I like this group because in it, I have a bunch of people who understand what I’m going through.”
 
“I like Girls on the Run because it’s taught me gratitude,” 4^th grader Natalia Rohadfox said. “I’m grateful for the friendship. We do teambuilding and have talks together, and it’s made us all friends. We have learned to always lift each other up instead of dragging each other down.”
 
“This group has taught me to ignore the people who are mean,” 4^th grader Gabriella Vavonese agreed. “We’ve done a lot of teambuilding and I’ve really liked talking to new people, making new friends, and learning new people skills. I’ve learned more about myself as a person from Girls on the Run.”
 
Ultimately, the girls said they appreciated the camaraderie that the Girls on the group provided.
 
“The teamwork makes me work harder,” 4^th grader Kennedy Perez said. “We pick each other up!”
 
 
At Grant Middle School, students gathered after school for Heart & Sole – the middle school Girls on the Run program.
 
“I joined Heart & Sole because I wanted to get fit,” 6^th grader Hani Abdi said. “But I’ve also had fun making new friends and becoming closer to my teachers! We get closer to our teammates by doing activities that show appreciation and support for each other.”
 
“I joined the group because a lot of people mock me for my weight,” Laraya Linton added. “My favorite part is being closer to my friends – it’s such a supportive group!”
 
Each day, the students complete a ‘check in’ entry in their ‘I Am Totally Me’ journal. The journal prompts align with the day’s discussion. Together, the girls look at a printed ‘girl wheel’ showing different types of feelings: brain, social, heart, body, spirit. One at a time, they share with the group about how they’re feeling and why.
 
Then, they review the group’s rules – created by them. Be prepared. Be respectful. Be patient. Try your best. No judgement.
 
“No judgement,” Hani stresses again as she reads it out loud, looking pointedly at a friend and draping an arm supportively over her shoulders. “That means no judging yourself, too!”
 
Together, the students participate in a workout and stretching exercises and then practice running laps.
 
“The group is good for me to stretch and to release stress by running,” Chloe Paul said. “Sometimes, I get stressed about work I have to finish… but when I run, that stress melts away and I feel better. I’ve also learned how to pace myself, which is so important!”
 
Chloe proudly noted that she could already easily run 11 laps around the school and will need to run the equivalent of 30 laps at the upcoming 5K the group is training for.
 
“At the beginning of the season, none of the girls had heard of a 5K, and many had never run before,” Grant Administrative Intern and Heart & Sole Advisor Hayley Downs shared. “It was amazing during the season watching their confidence build while the miles increased. All participants were able to successfully complete 3.1 miles without stopping! While there is a focus on physical well-being, we also focus on a socio-emotional piece, too. This program helps our middle school students set goals, problem-solve, listen to learn, and much more!”
 
We’re so proud of the students who are learning to improve their physical fitness – and work together – through Girls on the Run and Heart and Sole!