Joy and Energy with Girls On The Run

Sonali R (on left)

It seems fitting to be writing this post shortly after our Spring 2017 Girls on the Run (GOTR) 5K here in NYC! The infectious joy and energy of this season are still with me and I’m particularly excited to be sharing a bit about my GOTR experience with the New York Flyers!

For some Flyers context, I have been a lifelong runner -- I started running with my dad in 9^th grade and then joined my high school cross-country team and just loved it. I’ve run multiple marathons and dozens of road races and was lucky to be able to run through most of my pregnancy. I took some time off from running after the birth of my son in the summer of 2015, but after going back to work, I was craving a running routine again that also fit into my schedule (read: anything early in the morning). 

I’ve been running with the Flyers' lovely and supportive 6AM group, led by Francine A, for the past year or so and it’s been the best! In fact, I rave about this group to my family and friends all of the time and as a result of that, one of my very best friends, Allison Hauser (who also happens to be the Executive Director of GOTR here in NYC) was thinking that we might have a lot of Flyers (who I have found to be, not only incredible runners but also just good, kind, generous folks) interested in volunteering for GOTR in some capacity! Long story short - and with the help of long-time Flyers’ member Dave K -- I offered to put together a post describing GOTR in a little more detail and also sharing a bit about my experience.

GOTR is an evidence-based after-school program that directly serves young girls (ranging from 3^rd – 8^th grade) all across the country. More than 200,000 girls in the US participate in GOTR each year and GOTR-NYC specifically takes place in more than 50 elementary and middle schools across 4 of our 5 boroughs. The curriculum itself addresses a range of critical social emotional learning skills via a creative approach that fosters an affinity for physical activity, addresses critical health issues, and nurtures compassion, empathy, and a sense of community. I have been deeply fortunate to work closely with GOTR and the incredible team of women and men leading this effort for over a decade. As a long-time volunteer (this was my 20th season coaching!), I can attest to the powerful impact participating in this program has on the girls themselves, their families, and their school climate.

I started coaching for GOTR in the fall of 2007. To say that it has been a life-changing experience for me is an understatement: GOTR has shaped critical aspects of my career (my doctoral dissertation study actually involved working closely with GOTR Founder Molly Barker on the development, implementation, and evaluation of their middle school curriculum); has been the source of some of my closest friendships (NYC Executive Director Allison and I met as coaches ten years ago and she has been one of my closest friends since!); and being a part of this organization has brought immeasurable joy to my life (the girls we are privileged to work with are hilarious and brave and smart and never fail to make me laugh).

Volunteering as a coach is my favorite way to be involved. The curriculum is 10 weeks long (lessons take place twice a week) and the program is offered twice per year in the fall and spring. Practices are held at one of our many school sites across the city for about 75-90 minutes per lesson. There is a comprehensive coach training for all coaches at the beginning of each season and the program concludes with a big 5K running event where all of the girls across NYC come together to celebrate all that they have accomplished. (As an aside and what’s incredible to see is that there are hundreds of these 5K events all across the U.S. each fall and spring). Each team of coaches -- there are typically 3-4 coaches per school -- receive all of the materials for every lesson at the beginning of the program so they don’t have to worry about a thing! It’s rewarding and fun and such a great age group to work with. GOTR-NYC also regularly hosts events of all sorts for their coaches and other volunteers; it’s a wonderful way to also get involved with the larger non-profit and fitness community here in NYC.

It should be noted that for those who are unable to make a coaching commitment there are many other ways to get involved with GOTR! A full list can be found here, but I wanted to highlight a couple of options. The first is to volunteer at the GOTR-NYC 5K events. It’s a beautiful, special day and can be a one-time commitment. The second option is to race as a GOTR SoleMate and raise money for GOTR while you train.

I could (and would!) spend hours talking about this wonderful non-profit organization and the (now, well over 1 million) girls they have served since the organization’s founding…but I’ll stop here and let you absorb this information for now. But please let me know if you are interested in getting involved and have any questions at any point. Those interested in volunteering can visit the GOTR website by clicking HERE. Or you may contact GOTR Executive Director Allison Hauser (or you may contact me directly at sonals612@gmail.com).  

Happy running!

Sonali