Girls on the Run of Nebraska will offer its unique blend of friendship and 5K fun at Grandview Elementary in Alliance this spring.
Girls on the Run offers after-school programs that build confidence and character in third- through sixth-grade girls. Participants learn lessons on values, teamwork, communication and goal-setting that are incorporated with physical training for a 5K run/walk at the end of the season.
Since its inception in September 2003, GOTR-Nebraska has helped more than 27,000 girls across the state gain a stronger sense of self with GOTR’s focus on positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. The Nebraska council is part of a network of 180 GOTR organizations across the country that collectively serve 200,000 girls annually.
The GOTR curriculum is based on extensive research and “on-the-track” testing of lessons. Each lesson includes an ice-breaker discussion, a warm-up activity, a stretch routine with question and answer time, a workout with a team goal, a cool-down and stretch with additional question and answer time, and a closing cheer or words of encouragement.
Teams of 15 to 20 girls are coached by two to three volunteers who are trained to use the curriculum and who believe fitness is a valuable tool to empower young girls to make healthy decisions as they enter adolescence. Coaches don’t have to be runners to be great team leaders.
The spring season will begin in early March and run through the early May. The Southern Panhandle GOTR 5K will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27 at Bridgeport State Recreation Area in Bridgeport. Online registration for all teams is open. To see a complete listing of sites, visit www.GOTRNebraska.org.